A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve: Studia Ethnographica 3. (Szeged, 2001)

Tóth Ferenc: Nepomuki Szent János kultusza Csongrád megyében

2000/c Földeák. In Csongrád megye építészeti emlékei. Szerk. Tóth Ferenc. Szeged, 103—106. 2000/d Kiszombor. In Csongrád megye építészeti emlékei. Szerk. Tóth Ferenc. Szeged, 159-168. 2000/e Óföldeák. In Csongrád megye építészeti emlékei. Szerk. Tóth Ferenc. Szeged, 289-295. 2000/f Makó. In Csongrád megye építészeti emlékei. Szerk. Tóth Ferenc. Szeged, 179-263. 2000/g Apátfalva. Száz magyar falu kincsesháza. Budapest. The Cult of Saint John ofNepomuk in Csongrád County Saint John ofNepomuk was regarded patron saint of the Banat. His strong local cult - which can be owed to the Germans and Jesuits who settled down here bringing their pious folk religion — had a nationwide influence. Since after the liberalising wars against the Turks, the Banat was directed from Vienna from the administrative point of view - the county system was only re-established by Maria Theresa in 1779 - this region was considered such an isolated land as far as intellectual life was concerned that the saint's cult was spread not by the aforementioned Germans and Jesuits in Csanád and Csongrád counties but with the help of the Franciscans. The Saint's cult in Szeged began to flourish about half a century earlier than in other settlements in Csongrád county. Seven years prior to his canonisation, in the church of Szeged-Alsóváros a side-altar was raised to the saint's honour and Viennese artist was commissioned to paint the altarpiece. Three statues of St. John of Nepomuk were erected near the river Tisza. His cult ceased to exist also in Szeged first, which was in connection with the town-restructuring project that followed the Î 879 Great Flood. In Csongrád county some churches, chapels and side-altars were erected in his honour, but this cult spread mainly along the rivers Tisza and Maros and other waters. He was patron saint of water riders and travellers . His statues were raised in settlement centres, on bridges, at the feet of ferries, on water routes and on the sides of roads. He was as greatly respected as a Hungarian saint. With the completion of river regulations and embankment works his cult surpassed. On the eves of festive days of the saint his statue was wreathed in a procession. In the village of Szentmihálytelek wedding celebrators paid tribute to the Saint with music. In the village of Apátfalva a passing bell was hung next to his statue and when somebody passed away, the bell was used to tell whether the deceased was a man or a woman. Nowadays more and more of his statues are being restored. 242