The consecration of the Via Lucis was preceded by a short ceremony, held with the participation of church and civil leaders of the neighboring towns, the Salesian communities, the Salesian Family, and representatives of the Salesian institutions and neighboring parishes. Guests arriving from the surrounding towns and from Salesian places far and near were greeted by the Salesian provincial, Fr. János Andrásfalvy SDB. He said in his speech that the decades-long dream of honoring the Via Lucis with such a beautiful artistic expression could only be realized with the help of generous donations.

The plan of erecting a Via Lucis originally came from Fr. Béla Ábrahám SDB, the former provincial of the Hungarian province, who began promoting traditions of the Via Lucis in the 90s. The present provincial emphasized that contemplating the stations of the Resurrection of Christ gives joy to the soul, and he encouraged everyone to experience this joy for themselves with the aid of these beautiful statues. He said that it is a great happiness for the Salesians that their patrons realized that the spiritual treasure trove of the Via Lucis could be shared with the help of a series of statues, and so they asked Péter Párkányi Raab, a Kossuth Prize-winning sculptor, to create this outstanding piece of art.

He pointed out that there are QR codes on the sides of the stations that lead to prayers and texts that help contemplate God’s work of redemption from the Resurrection to Pentecost. He also expressed his wish that the Via Lucis could attract more pilgrims to visit Péliföldszentkereszt to commune with the Lord in prayer and devotion.

After this, János Latorcai, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, addressed the guests, followed by the sculptor sharing his thoughts. After cutting the ceremonial ribbon, the provincial, Fr. János Andrásfalvy SDB blessed the stations.

After blessing the Via Lucis, holy mass was offered on the feast day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (to which the chapel of Péliföldszentkereszt is dedicated), concelebrated by Fr. Béla Ábrahám SDB, who had been the director and resident of the Salesian house and site of pilgrimage for many years. In his homily, he evoked the times when the badly damaged buildings of this place were nearly lost, but with perseverance, effort and sacrifice, they were preserved and eventually restored. He pointed out that by visiting the stations of the Via Lucis, we too have the opportunity to contemplate our lives in the light of the Resurrection of Christ and receive the grace of spiritual rejuvenation.

The celebration was concluded with a gospel concert and feast, where the guests could meet, converse, and spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the warm autumn sun in this sacred place.

• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
•  

Tweet