Local services
The events for the next half-year were announced on Friday.
The first will be a literary and musical memorial evening for Albert Wass in the Great Church on February 17th.
The congregation’s cultural service will organise community programmes in the renewed Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café operated by the parish and in the Great Church in the coming months. Among the events, the president-pastor István Oláh highlighted the current programmes of Marriage Week, which focus on the spiritual strengthening of marital relationships and the significance of marriage.
At the information session, Deputy Mayor István Puskás said, “The Great Church Reformed Parish is playing an increasingly important role in the community and cultural life of the city with its events and programme venues. I believe that the Karakter 1517 Café is now one of the defining points of the cultural and community life of Debrecen. If we say that the Great Church is the heart and soul of Debrecen, then Karakter shows this heart and soul in many ways to the largest audience”.
FIRST SEMESTER PROGRAMMES OF THE CULTURAL SERVICE
14 February – Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café
6:00 p.m. – OPPORTUNITIES, DIFFICULTIES, AND REALIsATION OF COMMUNICATION IN MARRIAGE
Presentation by family therapist Dr. Klára Balogh and panel discussion with Dr. Sándor Kiss and his wife, Dr. Ilona Bodnár, who are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. Associate pastor Tünde Dorottya Tóth will lead the discussion.
The newly renovated and opened Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café will be the venue for the event, which will begin with a presentation by psychotherapist, family and couple therapist, Dr. Klára Balogh, and then continue with a panel discussion with the jubilant couple with doctors, members of our congregation, Dr. Sándor Kiss and Dr. Ildikó Bodnár, together with their children and grandchildren. At the event, visitors will hear a short presentation on the essential communication in marriage. The practical implementation of this will be discussed during the podium discussion, and at the end, the participants will also answer any questions that arise.
6:00 p.m. – CANDLELIGHT DINNER
Hosts: Associate pastors, Beáta Mátyásné Szabó and Szabolcs Molnár
In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we often don’t get to spend enough time together as a couple. The Candlelight Dinner is a small community, family event where we can stop, listen to each other, and laugh together with other couples to start the next steps with renewed strength. A delicious and meaningful dinner is an indispensable part of the evening.
The event requires prior registration; the registration link can be found below.
You can register for the registration-required programs on the following interface: https://forms.gle/ijWe7q4BaBD7rUro9
16 February – Debrecen Reformed Great Church
10:00 a.m. – CLOSING SERVICE AND BLESSING OF THE JUBILANT MARRIED COUPLES
Preacher: Bishop-Pastor Dr. Károly Fekete
Members of the congregation will serve during the service by reading the scriptures and leading the opening prayer. During the service, they will ask for a blessing on the lives of our brothers and sisters celebrating their wedding anniversary. Registration is required at the Pastoral Office for this event.
17 February – Debrecen Reformed Great Church
6.00 p.m. – WE STILL ARE… AND WE WILL BE! in memory of Wass Albert
This compilation is a selection of works by the much-loved and respected poet and writer. Sometimes, complete works are performed, sometimes only excerpts of poems or texts, coloured with Transylvanian folk songs and folk music.
Contributors:
Iván Diószeghy, Ádám Jeremiás, Erika Juhász, Vilmos Meleg, Csilla Molnár, Soma Olasz Szabó
Directed by: Cultural historian, theatre director, Sándor Ozsváth
Edited by: Performer, Péter Mohos
26 February – Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café
5:00 p.m. SCIENCE CAFÉ
The dialogue between matter and light – the secrets of spectroscopy
Speaker: Dr. István Csarnovics
During the semester, lecturers from doctors, lawyers, linguists, and geographers will be on exciting topics.
March 2025 at the Reformed Great Church
“Lajos Kossuth said…” festive museum pedagogical sessions
12 March – Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café
5:00 p.m. SCIENCE CAFÉ
13 March – Reformed Great Church
6:00 p.m.- INSTEAD OF COMPLAINT – CONVERSATION WITH FATHER CSABA FÖJTE
26 March – Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café
5:00 p.m. – SCIENCE CAFÉ
29 March – Reformed Great Church
6:00 p.m. – SILENCE. FRAGILE. EMPTY. – DOROTTYA UDVAROS’ SOLO EVENING
Dorottya Udvaros, the National Actress, Kossuth, and Jászai Mari Award-winning actress, chose three essential words for the title of her solo evening. Directed by Tamás Series, this is a literary journey and an actual invitation to the world of elevated moments. The performance focuses on two exceptional poets, Endre Ady and János Pilinszky, whose thoughts speak to the deepest layers of human emotions. These works are rarely heard in such an exclusive and personal performance. The intimate space of the Great Church also allows us to feel closer to the artists and the works while experiencing a truly special community experience.
9 April – Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café
5:00 p.m. – SCIENCE CAFÉ
11 April -Reformed Great Church
7:00 p.m. – LIGHT AND SHADOW – LENT CONCERT
Programme: Louis Vierne: Messe solennelle / Arvo Pärt: Adam’s Lament
Participants: Dániel Sárosi – Organ / Kodály Choir / Artists of the Kodály Philharmonic
Conductor: Zoltán Kocsis–Holper
Ticket price: 2,500 HUF
More information: https://kodalykorus.hu/hangversenynaptar/esemeny/477/feny-es-arnyek-nagybojti-hangverseny
6:00 p.m. – MUSIC SERVANT OF GOD – DOMINICA PALMARUM with the participation of the Debrecen Garrison Orchestra
Preached by: distinguished camp chaplain, Lieutenant Colonel Szilárd Sajtos
Conducted by: conductor, Major István Pál
14 April
6:00 p.m. – FAITH 1 – DIALOGUE WITH GOD
What happens when prayer truly becomes a dialogue? In Gabriella Hámori and Márk Ember’s joint performance, faith, questioning, and modern technology meet to open a new dimension in the understanding of dialogue and faith.
“I believe in one God…” – we begin the prayer, but what happens when someone answers?
This performance confronts visitors with the deeper layers of faith and questions they may have never dared to address. The works of Babits, Pilinszky, Lackfi, and Attila József dialogue with each other through unique, parallel readings, where man and AI, artificial intelligence, transform the stage into a confessional scene. The charismatic presence of the two outstanding performers, Márk Ember and the sensitive interpretation of Gabriella Hámori, create a unique harmony that makes you think and touches you emotionally. Directed by Tamás Seres, a genuine dialogue theater, where prayer is not just a monologue, but an honest dialogue comes alive, a performance that reinterprets the concepts of faith, dialogue and human relationships.
Editor-Director: Tamás Seres
23 April – Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café
5:00 p.m. – SCIENCE CAFÉ
May 5 – Reformed Great Church
6:00 p.m. – THE LITTLE PRINCE – Musical fairy tale theatre by Miklós H. Vecsei and Lóci Csorba
Miklós H. Vecsei tells the story, in every role, as if in dialogue with himself. Lóci Csorba accompanies the story with songs, joins in the game, and plays duets on stage. To all this, there is also a projection. The original, classic illustrations of the Little Prince book appear, accompanying the story throughout. The performance is a time travel, sometimes a fairy tale, sometimes a song, sometimes narration, sometimes effects and atmosphere—a dream.
A unique atmospheric performance explicitly based on the original text and original drawings, for “adults” aged 9-99.
Narrator: Miklós H. Vecsei
Music: Lóci Csorba
Dramaturgy, idea: Miklós H. Vecsei and Tamás Seres
Director, creative: Tamás Seres
Performance length: 80 minutes
7 May – Character 1517 Bookstore and Café
5:00 p.m. – SCIENCE CAFÉ
23-24 May
HUNGARIAN REFORMED UNITY DAY
9 June
7:00 p.m. – PENTECOSTAL PARNO GRASZT CONCERT
Parno Graszt is one of the most original bands playing authentic gypsy music, who contribute with their unique stage presence, traditional instruments, inimitable dance performances and tremendous energy to the guaranteed all-over-all atmosphere of the audience.
The band has toured almost all over the world, performing all over Europe, in several Asian countries, and several times in the USA and Mexico.
The band has been around for more than 30 years and is constantly coming up with new styles and new looks to make the repertoire as colourful as possible and to make the true Parno Graszt feel accessible to everyone.
The band collaborates year after year with renowned artists such as Bohemian Betyars, Gergő Dánielfy, Punnany Massif, Bagossy Brothers, Pogány Induló and Kávészünet.
The 7-piece band (which occasionally expands to 9 members) is a family. The bond between the members is unshakeable, as everyone is related to everyone else. Perhaps this is one of the secrets of the band’s success, the unbreakable unity.
21 June – NIGHT OF MUSEUMS
– The photo exhibition of the architect Zoltán Rácz from Debrecen will open at the Night of Museums
– The series titled “WE LIVE TOGETHER” continues, which is a series of conversations with members of our congregation (details coming soon) at the Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café
Exhibitions at the Kálvin Gallery:
– The exhibition of the graphic artist István Tamus from Debrecen can be visited until the 31st of March
– An exhibition of the works of talented young people from Debrecen will open at the beginning of April
– The exhibition of the enamel artist Mária Szűcsné Novák is open from the 23rd of May
– The photo exhibition of architect Zoltán Rácz from Debrecen will open at the Night of Museums on the 21st of June
Tourism I. semester programmes
The Great Reformed Church of Debrecen welcomes its visitors in 2025, and its tourism offer is also rich in the first semester of the year. They also welcome groups arriving on a class trip within the framework of the National Memorial Pedagogical Programme. Still, upon prior registration, they also welcome workplaces and other communities, either for a guided church tour or a team-building programme.
On the 15th of March, they welcome visitors with extended opening hours, with festive guided tours and family activities during the day, and in connection with the holidays, they will offer festive “Kossuth” activities in March and Easter-themed activities in April. The “House of God and the Gate of Heaven” series will continue in May, during which we can have a unique experience within the framework of a church visit combined with an unusual pastor’s guided tour. The title of the next member of the series is A Special Meeting with the “Queen”.
At the beginning of June, the church is waiting for young and old with activities in tune with Pentecost, and at the end of June, there will be an opportunity to visit the church at night in connection with the national event series of the Night of Museums.
Exhibitions of contemporary artists will be on display at the Kálvin János Gallery on the 2nd floor of the church. Until the end of March, an exhibition by graphic artist István Tamus from Debrecen. From April, works by talented young people from Debrecen can be seen, while an exhibition by fire enamel artist Mária Szűcsné Novák will open in May. A photo exhibition by architect Zoltán Rácz from Debrecen will open during the Night of Museums.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
