Saint Family Church, 67 Szondi street

Source: Hungaricana

Szondi street was the dirt path leading out of the old Theresatown, next to the current Podmaniczky street. In the 1860s it was called Kőfaragó street, then from 1867 Deák street, and now it has had its current name since 1874.

The „Saint Family” in Christianity is the family of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Their depiction together is often found in the fine arts and the Catholic Church has a separate holiday for them called "Sunday of the Saint Family" on the Sunday following Christmas. The spread of this holiday, which has already been celebrated in some places since the 17th century, was initiated by Pope Leo XIII in 1893, then Pope Benedict XV made it mandatory in all Catholic churches of the world in 1921.

The group of statues of the Saint Family
Source: MESZL

After World War I, the population of the capital city has grown significantly. The populated peripheries needed better ministerial services, so the thought of establishing subsidiary chapels was born. The one organizing this was Adolfné Samassa née Anna Désy; she established 24 subsidiary and emergency chapels, giving each of them names after flowers.

 
The chapel on Dalnok (currently Székely Bertalan) street - then (left) and now (right)
Source: Margit Beke - The Saint Family parish of Theresatown ("A terézvárosi Szent Család plébánia"), esztergomi-ersekseg.hu

The chapel on Dalnok street became the Aster Subsidiary Chapel Society. In 1921, for a small compensation, Mária Hermann offered the stables of 25 Dalnok street (now Székely Bertalan street) for the chapel. In the first years it already became obvious that the chapel was too small for the growing numbers of believers and the communities forming in the wake of religious life needed a place, where they could held their gatherings. From the start, the dream of the church community has always been the construction of a new, large church. They bought a property on Queen Wilhelmina road (now Városligeti fasor) for building a church and community center, but the permit was rejected.

News sources of the time mentioned 2 Lendvay street, 8 Queen Wilhelmina road and 106 Andrássy road as possible locations. In the end, they had to use a much smaller property on Szondi street, under 67. As they began construction, they had to make sure that the houses aren't built around the church, but the church had to be fitted into the small space between the houses.

 
Gáspár Fábián architect (left) and his bust in Székesfehérvár (right)
Source: Wikipedia, kozterkep.hu

On 28 September 1930, they held the ceremony of laying the foundation stone, combined with a holy mass. The church was built as per the plans of Gáspár Fábián. THe building has an eclectic style, but it was conceived in the spirit of medieval church architecture. THe facade is reminiscent of Romanesque churches, but the details, especially the huge, so-called Tudor-arched window between the two curch towers, were from English Gothic. The finished building was consecrated by coadjutor István Breyer on 15 November 1931. In 1933, the church community ascended to the title of vicarage, the first vicar became the builder of the church, Ferenc Sármány.

 
Source: Facebook ("Szent Család Plébánia, Bp.-VI.")

In World War II, the building suffered a lot of damage. On 1st January 1945 at 12:12 PM, a chained explosive destroyed the whole building. Everything, altars, the church organ, the pulpit, the confessional booth, and lighting equipments were destroyed in moments. Only the crucifix next to the pulpit and the statue of Little St. Therese remained unharmed.

In September 1947, the reconstruction began. On 18 May 1948, on the day of the Pentecost, the building was consecrated by Blessed Bishop Zoltán Meszlényi, authorized by Archbishop József Mindszenty. In 1955, the high altar and the pulpit got marble covering, the cost of which was covered by Zoltán Kodály, who was a regular at this church. The benches came from the "Regnum Marianum" church, which has stood on Felvonulási (Procession - ed.) square and was exploded by Mátyás Rákosi. They were delivered before that church was destroyed.

 
Source: szent-csalad.hu

In 1958, Ferenc Sármány, vicar and church builder, died and was buried under the left-side confessional booth. His successor was Pál Kisörsi from 1958 to 1971, but in these chaotic times a previous chaplain, dr. Mihály Meszlényi, acted as his substitute in church business.

In 1961, the secco of Péter Barba was painted in the sanctuary, which depicted the Saint Family escaping to Egypt, the scene of the child murder of Bethlehem in the background.

Source: szent-család.hu

The lull ended when on 1st of September 1971 Oszkár Gyulai, the first chaplain of the Franciscan church in Pest was appointed as vicar. His first task was to start evening masses from October. For Christmas of that year, the new lighting and sound system was installed.

In 1972, the insulation of the roof and walls and the cast stone footing were done. In 1973, the sanctuary was covered with red marble tiles and the new lithurgy space was finished. On the holiday of the Saint Family, the new frontal servicing altar was consecrated by Bishop dr. Mihály Endrey. In the following years, the electrical system was replaced, the heating upgraded, the church repainted and two theology rooms, a new vestry and the church library finished. The ceiling got a new insulation and the glasses in the windows were doubled.

 
Source: szent-csalad.hu

With the renovation of the church, they took great care to build up the spiritual church of living stone, the religious community. They organized theology classes, from kindergarteners to college students. They started in the basement then moved to the classrooms on the ground and first floors.

In the summer of 1985, a one meter tall statue of Rosa Mystica arrived by post. For weeks, months the church was trying to figure out what to do with it, since they already had a statue of the Virgin Mary of Lourdes. Finally, on 8th December 1985, they formally accepted it into the church building, lead by Father Ottmár Faddy (carried on the shoulders of four girls) and put it under the crucifix of Christ by the high altar.

Since 1985, at 12 PM on the 13th of every month, in the hour of mercy, a Rosa Mystica amd a Fatima mass are held, and the church is filled with pilgrims from Budapest and the whole of Hungary, who are praying for the future of Hungarians in the rows of benches from Regnum Marianum. In 1996, a columbarium was built in the basement and the backyard and the incme of it was used for outside and inside renovations.

  
Source: MESZL

For the jubilee year of 2000, the building was renovated outside and inside. The streetside facade was cleaned of decades old soot, the electrical system was completely changed to copper wires, 48 lamp brackets were made in the style of the windows and the interior was completely repainted.

On 8th September 2002, two new bells were consecrated by coadjutor Antal Spányi. On 13th November 2003, two new seccos were painted by Zsolt Boromisza artist: it depicted the saints of a thousand years of Christianity. At the same time, the prayer space showing the Holy Cross and the Merciful Christ was inaugurated.

 
Source: szent-csalad.hu

In 2004, Zsolt Boromisza also painted the Hungarian Saint Family onto the rose windows on the right side of the church: St. Stephen, Blessed Gisela and St. Emeric. In the summer of 2005, the floor got a new stone and marble covering and the mistakes in the painting of the church walls were repaired.

In 2006, the church organ, which was damaged and partly destroyed in the war, was completely remade, the rooms of the two towers (offices, library, classrooms) and the vicarage received central heating, and the library got new furniture.

During the day, the front hall of the church is open for those, who wish to pray, and the building can be visited during opening hours. The church also has a neat urn cemetery.

Source: MESZL

Sources: Wikipedia, szent-csalad.hu, pestbuda.hu