The Museologists’ Association of Christian Churches, the National Centre for Catholic Collections and the National Committee for Ecclesiastical Art and Monuments held their day of professional discussions in the Greek-Catholic Museum, Nyíregyháza on 16 November. Guided by Irén Szabó, Director, the experts coming from the country’s different parts visited the museum’s exhibitions, and they were introduced to the museum’s creation, collections and plans in an informal discussion.

On 22-23 November, a group from the Ministry of Energy visited the Archabbey. In addition to team-development and professional programmes, they visited our Archives, too, where they head a look at some mediaeval documents, then they became acquainted with the history of the monastery’s energy-intake.

On 22 November 2023, the Association of Hungarian Domanial History organised the 11th National Conference on Domanial History in Gödöllő, on the Saint Stephen Campus of MATE (Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences). After a four-year involuntary break, the researchers interested in the topic met again, who – related to the jubilee year of Petőfi 200 – concentrated on the characteristics of allodial agriculture in the reform period, however, other interesting topics were also discussed by visiting experts.

On 21 November, a Georgian church delegation visited Pannonhalma led by Theodore Chuadze, the Metropolitan of Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klarjeti. He was accompanied by Metropolitans Gerasim Sharashenidze, Saba Zaza Gigiberia, Amiran Gvazava and Protopresbyter Gia Zviadadze in the Archabbey. Our guests were shown around in the monastery, the treasury, and the Basilica where they could listen to a short organ recital, they attended the Midday Office, and they had lunch with the Benedictine community. In the Archives they were guided by Tamás Dénesi, and in the Library by Ilona Ásványi.

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.

The 25th Archivists’ Day in Győr and the 11th Archivists’ Day of the Little Plain was held in the ceremonial hall of Brenner János Theological College on 25 October. The Director of our Archives gave a talk entitled Benedictine Wills from the 17th–18th Centuries. According to their Rules, Benedictine monks had to dispose of their inherited wealth prior to their vows. In his talk, based on wills from the period between 1661 and 1778, Tamás Dénesi discussed the social background, the scheme of connections, education, and spirituality of those who joined the Order.

In honour of the 250th anniversary of the dissolution of the Jesuit Order and the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Jesuit historian, György Pray, a two-day conference was organised by the ELTE University Library and Archives, the National Széchényi Library, the Institute of History, and the Province of the Society of Jesus in Hungary in Budapest.

On 4 Oktober, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, the friars of the Franciscan convent of Pasarét visited Pannonhalma. During their day here, they visited the Archabbey, its Library and Archives, they had an informal conversation with the Benedictine community, and they attended the Divine Office. As the conclusion of their programme, they visited the wine cellar.

On 28 September 2023, the tenth conference on diocesan history was organised at the Archiepiscopal College of Veszprém. This time, the talks concentrated on the history of the Bishopric of Veszprém between 1850 and 1917. The conference was one of the series of programmes of the Katolikus Társadalmi Napok (Days of Catholic Society) organised in Veszprém this year.

Accepting the invitation of the Archabbey in Pannonhalma, Patriarch Bartholomew I arrived in Hungary for a six-day visit on 20 September. His visit distinctly concentrated on ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, in addition to promoting peace. He gave the main address of the international ecumenical conference – with the motto “Seek peace and pursue it!” – organised in Pannonhalma on 22 September.