On March 22, 2024, the Hungarian Parliamentary Prayer Group held its 150th prayer breakfast.
What made the event special was that we hosted our Polish, Slovak and Lithuanian brothers on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the birth of St. Kinga and the 650th anniversary of the birth of St. Hedvig, and on this occasion the event was also honored by House Leader Mr. László Kövér.
In his festive greeting, Imre Vejkey, the leader of the prayer group, touched on the common historical and Christian ties connecting the four peoples.
He said that - in addition to our common history - we all carry a piece of the same cross in our hearts. He called the search for and dissemination of the truth, which leads to real enlightenment, a particularly important task. In the daily Gospel segment (Jn. 10, 31-42), he presented the confrontation between the Jews and Jesus. The former wanted to stone Jesus to death for blasphemy. All along, the Jews were bound by the words of Jesus, who, on the other hand, referred to his own actions throughout. He claimed that he carries out the actions of the Father, just as his teaching, his actions and miracles convey the Father's mercy to people. Imre Vejkey said that our hearts must also be gentle and steadfast. Jesus was ready to accept death for his faith, which set an example for us. The upcoming Easter also conveys the message of victory over death through faith.
Krakow Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski spoke about the close relationship between the Hungarian and Polish peoples, recalling the events of the 1848 and 1956 revolutions.
He highlighted the figures and lives of General Bem and János Eszterházy, who are outstanding examples of the unity of the two peoples. The beatification of the latter is currently underway in Krakow. As the Archbishop said, the European Christian identity has centuries of staying power. In his celebratory speech, he praised the activities of the Hungarian Parliamentary Prayer Group, which he said he had never seen before.
After that, Dr. György Bakondi, Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees, greeted the participants and then thanked the House Leader for the support of the prayer group.
In his speech, he paised the centuries-old Polish-Hungarian friendship. He thanked for Pope St. John Paul II, with whom he shared with those present the memory of their personal meeting. In response to the conflicts currently taking place in the world and the attacks on Christianity, the Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees said, quoting the deceased Holy Father: "do not be afraid!"
In his speech, Frantisek Trestnsky, bishop of Spis, Slovakia, recalled the joint Slovak-Hungarian struggle for freedom.
He expressed his gratitude for the work done by the Hungarian Parliamentary Prayer Group, at the same time emphasizing that it is the duty of all of us to protect the freedom of others. In his closing thoughts, he cited the story of Mary and Martha from the New Testament, which is a symbol of the "active hand and the sensitive heart", which must serve the Lord's will together. His speech was joined by the Lithuanian bishop Kestutis Smilgevicius, who in his celebratory speech also praised the extraordinary efforts and sacrifices made by the Hungarian people for freedom and the defense of the Christian faith, with which he set an example to other nations on many occasions throughout his history.
The Chair of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Katalin Tóth, illustrated the interweaving and close relationship of the four peoples in the Christian faith through the historical example of St. Kinga and St. Hedvig.
In her festive greeting, the Chair stated that today it is just as important to hear the Lord's call and to establish a direct relationship with him through prayer. She pointed out that the Hungarian Parliamentary Prayer Group has started a 24-hour prayer chain several times for peace and for ending the current unrest in the world.
The prayer breakfast ended with a joint prayer of the participants, followed by a table blessing by the Archbishop.