The History of Kardoskút

The History of Kardoskút

When arable land in the Vásárhelyi Puszta (or the plains of Vásárhely) was distributed, a great many Lutherans settled in the area, so we find a good number of Protestants among the residents of Kardoskút. That an independent Lutheran order was established here in 1888 (and that later even a Protestant church was built) attests to the strength of the village congregation.

The Kadoskút order began its activities in the late 19^th century. The rectory for minister-pastors, which the Hódmezővásárhely Lutheran Regional Center built on behalf of people in the puszta in 1890, still stands beside the church and is still in use.

In the same year, at the Municipal Clerical Office’s general assembly in February, they decided to appoint Assistant Minister Gyula Plavetz to the position of pastor and teacher with a yearly salary of 300 forints. The assistant minister took up his post on March 3, 1890, and with that, the Kardoskút order of the Hódmezővásárhely Lutheran Regional Center began.

Gyula Plavetz proved to be too lenient a teacher, but he was a great organizer. The photo caption in the prayer room of the rectory duly refers to him as the organizing pastor. He started the Kardoskút Readers’ Club, and together with Mihály Gyarmati, he launched the Ant Association.

Gyula Plavetz held his Kardoskút office for 18 years. When Lajos Draskóczy, Sr., the honorable clergyman of the Inner Hódmezővásárhely Lutheran Church, died in 1908, Plavetz announced, on August 22, that he intended to apply for the internal clergyman’s office. On November 25, 1910, Plavetz announced that he had been appointed to that post. On November 27, Pál Kalmár succeeded Gyula Plavetz as minister to the Kardoskút congregation.

Beside the first pastor, from the congregation, István Gombkötő served as the first caretaker between 1895 and 1908, while the first treasurer was Antal Iványi, also from 1895 to 1908. During Gyula Plavetz’s time, about 450 to 500 people paid taxes to the church (452 in 1905, and 484 in 1908). The year Gyula Plavetz left the village, the financial situation of the church was not bad. Income was 9241 crowns, and expenses were 1489 crowns, so the church had a reserve of 7752.

After the Kardoskút flock merged with the inner church (1891 – 1911), its revenue was 30,480, according to inner church accounting records dated January 1, 1912. Ostensibly, the inner church used the money to pay off so-called “puszta debts,” although they were not able to account for the source or origin of these debts. Probably the plain-dwelling followers felt that with so much money they could stand on their own feet. Hence, quite early on, they turned to a higher authority in order to break with the inner church. At the general Lutheran assembly of the Bányai Augustine Order, they dealt with the matter of making the Kardoskút church an independent motherhouse in 1911, 1912, 1913, and 1915. In every case, the assembly found that conditions for the existence of two churches (even autonomous churches) were assured – according to trial budgets as well. The assembly concluded that there were further arguments for the severance – first, the large distance separating the puszta flock from the inner church; and second, that the number of plain-dwellers (approx. 2000 people) was already great enough to maintain a motherhouse. At the assembly in 1915, they finally resolved that “the Kardoskút Protestant Church is to be established as a motherhouse, and the district administration is entrusted with carrying out this conversion beginning from the 1^st of the month of January, 1916…”

In the line of Kardoskút pastors, after the minister who fought for independence, Pál Kálmar – who, incidentally, also published a small booklet – András Jancsó followed. This evangelizing pastor served in Kardoskút from 1927 to 1934. In his time, missionary woman Irén Kunst paid a call on April 23-24, 1932. She told the followers and the Presbyterians about her ongoing missionary work in China.

At this time, the financial condition of the Kardoskút order grew somewhat stronger, and this served as a basis for them to begin building a church in 1937. At that time, Oszkár Breuer was already pastor, and he played a large role in the “land or temple” debate, which ended in the decision to build the church. Dean Andor Kovács laid the foundation stone on August 8, 1937, in the framework of an inaugural ceremony. An eight-member committee was established to handle further matters connected with the erection of the church. The members were József Gombkötő, Sándor Fekete, János Lőrincz, Mihály Vági Vitéz, Antal Kabódi, János Gyömrei, Mihály Verasztó, and Mihály B. Vered. In a legal capacity, Dezső Borcsiczky also took part in the construction project. Out of his expenses, he donated 20 pengő for the good of the church.

The Lutheran temple was completed at the end of the summer in 1938. At a ceremonial church-christening ceremony on June 19, Bishop Sándor D. Raffay christened the church. Taking part in the ceremony were the area’s parliamentary representatives; Dean Andor Kovács; Dean of Csanád-Csongrád County, Dániel Benkóczy; Dr. Richard Kászonyi, Hódmezővásárhely’s county steward; and Mayor Béla Endrey. Contractor Mihály Kabódi built the edifice for a total cost of 14,700 pengő. Collectors’ and contributors’ names were preserved for posterity in the Golden Book. According to later sources, even Finnish and Norwegian pastors took part in the christening ceremony. This was the first provincial Lutheran church in the country. The names Gyula Plavetz, Pál Kalmár, and András Jancsó can be seen on the windows facing south, in memory of the ministers who served in Kardoskút. On the north side, one window apiece bears the names of donators István Fekete, his wife Mária Fehér, Endre Pinkóczi, and János Szabó. The eastern windows commemorate Sándor Fekete and his wife Rozália Szabó. Filling the role of second supervisor in Kardoskút between 1937 and 1946, Sándor Fekete was the one who went to Zomba by bicycle at the time of the church’s construction and brought back a few bricks that were placed under the altar. According to Mihály Gombkötő’s recollection, the crucifix over the door also found its way into the church during construction, at the request of István Héjja, who was Roman Catholic.

In Oszkár Breuer’s time (1935-1951), still many worshippers visited frequently – so recalls Mihály Gombkötő. People would line up on the footpath in order to come into the temple. On any given Sunday, 30-40 people would arrive. The pastor was an ardent supporter for the construction of ONCSA (National and International Family Foundation) houses. He wanted the poor to have flats as well.

According to a story from Oszkár Breuer’s time, on the land beside the church, the minister was harvesting his wheat with a scythe. Meanwhile, some peasants passed by in a coach on their way to market, and they cried out, “Not that way, Honored Sir!” With that, a few leapt out of the coach, cut a few swaths to show him how, then returned to their coach and traveled on. The pastor returned to cutting the grain when more came along the road. They also cried out to him and cut a more few rows of wheat before traveling on. So this is how the pastor’s wheat, slowly but surely, got harvested.

In 1950, when nationalization was already pretty well completed in the country, the new authority strove to appropriate the church’s property for “public” ownership. Thus, at an exceptional meeting on August 6, Oszkár Breuer announced that “on August 4, a two-member nationalizing committee deemed the rectory, the prayer room, all the side buildings, and the fenced-in court with garden indispensable school property and declared them nationalized.” Naturally, the religious community could not leave this one-sided solution unchallenged. Following their filing of an appeal, they managed to reacquire the nationalized church assets. The Ministry of Religion and Public Education reassigned all of the property and ordered it to reassume its original state in official registration.

Oszkár Breuer served in Kardoskút until 1952. More precisely, he resigned his post on December 8, 1951. He prepared the official logbook for the transfer of the pastor’s office on November 28, 1951. This document records quite well its drafter’s activities, including a novel he published in 1939, with the title Gold Bridge over the Vortex. (True, the author did publish under the name Oszkár Bányai.)

After Oszkár Breuer, József Huszák saw to the ministerial duties, and a few years later Lajos Farkas from 1960. In 1968, the congregation prepared a celebration of gratitude for the church’s inauguration. After all, it was Kardoskút Temple’s 30^th anniversary, and they wished to commemorate the event fittingly. It was evidently for this occasion that a general renovation on the building took place from 1967-68, serving the church with a clock tower and tower light. On June 23, 1968, the all-day program included the poem “The Kardoskút Temple,” written 30 years earlier by Pál Tóth, Jr., a fellow believer residing in Gyulamezőn. The author’s niece, a student, Etelka Tóth recited the poem at the ceremonial reception.

Lajos Farkas served the people of Kardoskút as minister until 1973, when he retired from his position. He prepared a transfer-and-receipt minister’s logbook on October 14, 1973.

The congregation was not to receive another pastor-in-residence until 1976, in the person of Pál Németh, who, as a freshly-qualified theologian, together with his wife, took up the position on September 1. Dean Oszkár Koszorús made the joyous news known to the flock at a meeting on August 21, 1976. Prior to the arrival of Pál Németh, Dean Oszkár Koszorús and fellow pastor István Benkő saw to the ministering duties. In that period, life in the congregation was quiet. As the pastor recorded in his yearly report, “There is service every Sunday. The Kardoskut Temple’s little bell invites all to the house of God, but sadly, many do not hear God’s words. In winter months, we only hold Bible hours. The congregation is made up of 371 members, but unfortunately, only 50-60 of that number regularly attend events.” One year later, in 1978, feelings of joy and gratitude flooded members of the flock. At the ceremonial meeting on June 25, to commemorate the 40^th anniversary of the church’s construction, Oszkár Breuer was present. It was under his ministry, in 1938, that the Kardoskút Temple was built. The pastor who had earlier preached the word of God here received an emotional welcome.

Unfortunately, on January 1, 1979, Pál Németh moved on to Nagyszénas, and with that, Kardoskút’s final pastor-in-residence departed the village.

Following this, at a joint meeting with Presbyterians on September 23, 1979, the Kardoskut Protestant Religious Community put an end to the congregation’s autonomy (despite three dissenting votes) and called for it to merge with the motherhouse in Orosháza. After this, assistant minister János Kis was to see to the ministering duties from Orosháza. The idea that the Kardoskút flock should merge with Orosháza was not new at the time. As early as 1977, Dean Oszkár Koszorús strongly advised Kardoskút to merge with Orosháza. Evidently, the congregation’s prospects were more auspicious when Pastor Pál Németh served in the village; but when he left, the church could not give the village a new minister.

János Kis traveled out to Kardoskút from the time of its becoming a daughter congregation until 1986. Then two years later in January 1988, the meeting began with a prayer by Gábor Győri. This pastor, being young himself, placed greater emphasis on instilling the young with spiritual knowledge. By 1995, he was already pleased that attendance by the faithful had grown. He was especially pleased when, the day after Christmas, some 20 children with their contribution made the celebration even more beautiful and memorable. During Gábor Győri’s time, with renovations to the rectory, even the caretaker’s residence became a homier place. In 1990, the presbytery saw to it that László Imre, a new arrival, took the caretaker’s duties in hand.

Gábor Győri left for Orosháza in 1998. When the Kardoskút flock learned that the pastor was preparing to leave, they made it known that they would be very pleased if Katalin Skorka would undertake their future spiritual needs. Gábor Győri relayed this request to Dean János Ribár, who paid attention to the congregation’s wishes. So it came about, on October 18, 1998, the ceremonial appointment of Minister Katalin Skorka to the Kardoskút Church.