The independent parish of Erzsébetváros was founded in 1881 by the Archbishop of Esztergom together with the city leadership. The faithful built a smaller eclectic-style church to the plans of Győző Czigler (today the Greek Catholic Church of the Protection of the Mother of God), which soon proved too small. The Catholic Church founded a church-building committee in 1889, and on 28 July 1892 the Neo-Gothic design of Imre Steindl was accepted; Samu Pecz and Sándor Aigner did not win the competition. Digging of the foundations began on 23 July 1893 and construction on 11 September 1893.
Milestones
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1881 | The independent parish of Erzsébetváros is founded; the faithful build the first, smaller church to the plans of Győző Czigler. |
| 1889 | The church-building committee is founded. |
| 28 July 1892 | Imre Steindl’s Neo-Gothic design is accepted. |
| 23 July – 11 September 1893 | Digging of the foundations begins, followed by construction. |
| 20 October 1895 | Foundation stone laid; King Franz Joseph I placed it in person. |
| 16 May 1901 | Consecration of the church, on Ascension Thursday. |
| 1905 | The first church is handed over to the Greek Catholic Church (today the Church of the Protection of the Mother of God). |
| 1932 | József Damkó’s statue of St Elizabeth is placed in front of the church on the 700th anniversary of the saint’s death; the square is named Rózsák tere (Square of Roses). |
| 1949 | Restoration of the church, hit by a bomb in World War II, is completed. |
| 1992–1995 | On the initiative of parish priest Antal Spányi, the church is granted heritage protection. |
| 1995–2007 | Full renovation: exterior until 2004, interior until 2007. |
| 29 April 2023 | Pope Francis meets poor people, refugees and charity representatives in our church. |
Rózsák tere
The square took the name Rózsák tere (Square of Roses) in 1932, when the statue of St Elizabeth was erected in front of the church, after the roses that are the saint’s attribute.
Pope Francis on Rózsák tere (2023)
On 29 April 2023, the second day of his apostolic visit to Hungary, Pope Francis met in our church with poor people, refugees and representatives of charitable organisations. Bishop Antal Spányi of Székesfehérvár, a former parish priest of our church, welcomed the Holy Father. Testimonies were given by a family in need that got back on its feet with the help of the Greek Catholic Church, a family that fled the war in Ukraine, and workers of the “Csak Egyet Szolgálat” centre that helps the homeless.
In his address, drawing on the example of St Elizabeth, the Pope stressed that true faith is “uncomfortable, takes risks, steps out into the world”, and that love is more than material help: one must “touch the other” and look at them. He thanked Hungarian church organisations for their ecumenical charitable service.
Source: Zsuzsanna Thullner: Ferenc pápa a Rózsák terén: Az igazi hit kényelmetlen, kockáztat, kilép a világba, Magyar Kurír (in Hungarian).
Our parish priests
| Parish priest | Years of service |
|---|---|
| Béla Tóthfalussy | 1894–1904 |
| István Novák | 1904–1931 |
| Ignác Hites | 1931–1971 |
| Gyula Bozó | 1971–1984 |
| Ferenc Bertók | 1984–1992 |
| Antal Spányi | 1992–2003 |
| Csaba Török | 2004–2011 |
| Zoltán Varga | 2011–2022 |
| Fr. Sándor Kampfmüller | 2022– |
More about the building: Our Church.
Source: Árpád-házi Szent Erzsébet-plébániatemplom (Erzsébetváros) – Hungarian Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), itself based on Budapest lexikon I. (ed. Berza László, 1993), supplemented with Ágnes Gerenday, Budapest – Árpád-házi Szent Erzsébet-templom (1998), and the parish’s own notes. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons; authors and licences are given in the captions.