Basilica 800 – Katalin Novák’s Visit

Due to a conflagration, the church of the Pannonhalma Archabbey built in the age of Saint Stephen had to be restored before 1137. The restoration that took place in the period of Béla II and Abbot David was followed with another large-scale process of construction in the 1210s. The church of Abbot Uros was completed just 800 years ago in 1224, and it was consecrated in the presence of King Andrew II.

Recalling the consecration of the third church in Pannonhalma, the Archabbey announces a jubilee year whose keynote is “celebration”. The jubilee year started on the solemnity of Saint Martin this year. The Eucharist was presided, and the sermon was preached by Archbishop Michael W. Banach, papal nuncio. In the church, following the liturgy, the jubilee year of Basilica 800 was inaugurated by Katalin Novák, the President of the Republic. After that, the President took part in the secondary school’s programmes of Saint Martin’s Day, then her programme was concluded in the Library where she had a look at the Library’s two codices and the two most famous charters of our Archives, the Letters-Patent of Pannonhalma and the Tihany Deed of Foundation.

The detailed account of the solemn occasion can be read here.