The Greek Catholic Church is to build its first crèche in Debrecen

The Greek Catholic Church is to build its first crèche in Debrecen on a 5600 square metre plot, and it will host eight groups of children.

A new crèche is being built with EU funding at 93/A Derék Street in Tócóvölgy. At the announcement, it was disclosed that the local assembly decided last year to give the 5,600 square metre plot of land free of charge to the Metropolitan Church of Hajdúdorog, which had successfully applied for EU funding to build a crèche.

At the event, Mayor of Debrecen László Papp stressed that the dynamically developing part of Debrecen will be enriched with a new institution. The first phase of the Green City programme in Tócóvölgy was completed a year and a half ago, and the project is to be continued in the coming years. The young residents of Tócóvölgy and the construction investments are creating the need to care for the youngest in increasing numbers. 

“Last year we opened a kindergarten next to the crèche, and we said then that we would also develop a crèche,” recalled László Papp. He also pointed out that the city’s crèches were under-capacity in the past. Six of the 12 local nurseries have been renovated in the last five years, and new ones are being built. A new one has been completed in Józsa, and another is planned in cooperation with the Reformed Church. In Pohl Ferenc Street, a crèche is planned in collaboration with the Evangelical Church, and one is being built in Postakert, a development that is currently 70 percent complete and will be completed next year. He expressed his hope that the opening of the crèche could be celebrated in October 2024.

István Seszták, Director of the Archdiocesan Office of the Archdiocese of Hajdúdorog, said: every beginning is also a mirror to look in – we all know the saying of Jesus that if you do not become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of God. He added that Jesus wanted to empower the Church everywhere to help the people entrusted to them become true children. He described the creation of a crèche with 96 places and eight groups.

Greek Catholic Archbishop Metropolitan Fülöp Kocsis said that nursery teachers must teach children the right answers to the question, “Who is Jesus Christ for you?”.” We have chosen the grandmother of Jesus, who will be the patron saint of families, children and educators. The nursery is also a kind of grandmothers’ nursery,” he concluded.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu