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The Hungarian Section of the Order of St John is launching a large-scale charity fundraising campaign to support one hundred churches in Transcarpathia on the 100th anniversary of its foundation, as the prolonged Russian-Ukrainian war makes it increasingly difficult for Transcarpathian congregations to provide electricity and heating for their churches.
As the organizers said, the aim of the action “Let 100 bells ring for peace!” is to cover the utility costs of churches for the next few years so that “not a single bell falls silent.”
“The protracted Russian-Ukrainian war has drastically changed the daily life of the villages and towns of Transcarpathia: there are hardly any men left in the settlements, many families have fled to Hungary or Western Europe, and most of the people left at home are elderly and retired. All this has an impact on the life of the churches in Transcarpathia. Since the Soviet period, the churches have been maintained by donations from members of the congregation.
However, since some of the faithful were forced to leave their homes due to the war, it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide heating and electricity for the churches, and it is feared that in the coming period the bells will fall silent in more and more settlements,”
said István Tomcsányi, the Commendatore of the Hungarian Section of the Order of St John.
The organizers explained in a statement that in Transcarpathia there are 101 Reformed churches with bells, and about the same number of Roman Catholic and 37 Greek Catholic churches where mass is celebrated in Hungarian language. The organization lists on budapest-johannita.hu/adomany the 100 Transcarpathian settlements whose congregations can be specifically helped, including Feketepatak (Chornyi Potik), Huszt (Khust) and Nagydobrony (Velyka Dobron’), with just over a thousand inhabitants, as well as churches in larger cities such as Ungvár (Uzhhorod) and Beregszász (Berehove).
Donations can be made on the site by credit card, but are also welcome to the bank account of the Hungarian Section of the Order of St John, with writing the name of the chosen municipality or ‘Transcarpathia’ in the remark box of the transmission. Donations from those who do not specify a particular municipality when transferring money will be sent to the congregations in greatest need.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Serve Ukraine