The History of the Church Deszk 1804-1904-2004

Neo-gothic pearl in the Maros valley

This year we can celebrate a double jubilee: Baron Ferenc Gerliczy purchased the estate in 1804, roughly 200 years ago. Today’s beautiful neo-gothic church, the Our Lady Church of the Hungarians in Deszk was built in 1904.

According to the ecclesiastical history, the Roman Catholic congregation of Deszk would have liked to have an independent church already starting in 1882, but this request was at the time being rejected by the bishop’s office for rational reasons, and it was authorized only after a letter written in 1901 by Baron Ferenc Gerliczy was received. He promised at the time “This Church will be splendid”. Baron Ferenc had the church designed by the architect Ferenc Sztarill who was already well known in Nagyvárad (Oradea) where he had designed several mansions for the family, which still exist.

The church, with the 35-meter (115 feet) high tower, the neo-gothic church with hidden works–of-art has effectively become the splendor of the region. The neo-gothic winged altars – which are seldom seen in the Hungarian history of art, since their carvings were extremely labor demanding and expensive – were most likely made by Tyrolean carvers in Gröden in South Tyrol. We can be thankful to Baron Gerliczy, that he ordered precisely this kind of altar from the Tyrolean carvers for one of the most beautiful churches on the shores of the Maros River.

But what do we see on the winged altars, of which each side is by itself a fine arts creation? In the center of the winged altar one can see a wooden carved scene: King St. Stephen offers the country to the Virgin Mary. If we look at it closer, we cannot notice any particular altar scene. From the two sided edge two angels hold an expensive drapery, which is seemingly let down for the great moment when the saint king offers his country to Our Lady of the Hungarians. At this moment the believers can practically get a view of the sublime secrets of the sky. This is the moment when the sky and the earth get together for a moment. At the edges of the altar slab (altar tablet) are St. Joachim and St. Anna, the grandparents of Jesus Christ. The closed wings portray archangel St. Raphael and St. Michael, respectively the hermit St. Felix and St. Francis – the patrons of the family’s male members.

The 2 side altars reflect the reverence to St. Joseph and Jesus holy hearts. The great stile wood carved creations extend almost to the ceiling. Felix Gerliczy also donated a beautiful 15th century golden chalice (cup) to the new church, which is located today in the museum of the bishopric in Szeged.

On the beautiful Tyrolean pulpit one can see the relief of the Fathers of the Church (churchwardens).

The other statues of the church are St. Elisabeth and St. Margaret, St. Rita, which are placed in front of us in the well known artistic quality. In front, next to the sanctuary we can see the Virgin Mary of Lourdes under a decorated wooden baldachin, who nicely fits into the harmony of the church. In the back one can see St. Francis, who got his placement on an elaborately carved stand, on which the artist engraved – “Prepared using the donation of Baron Gerliczy”.

According to published information, the superb Stations of the Cross have been carved by a 86-year-old master carver in Innsbruck, who first did not want to accept the job. He believed that he would not survive finishing the job, but in the end he started and finished and we are still able to admire his creation.

The stained windows of the church were made in a Tyrolean workshop. All of these are signalized. The documents of the manufacturing company, the 140-year-old “Tiroler Glasmalerei und Mosaikanstalt Innsbruck” (Glass staining and mosaic establishment) contain the old letters written by the Baron. From these we know that he visited them himself in 1901, before he placed his order. The stained windows arrived between 1902 and 1904. These were gifted by different members of the family and by his friends in Vienna.

Prime Minister Géza Fejérváry, father-in-law of Baron Gerliczy, paid for the benches. The rear large chandelier is made of bronze and is hand forged. At it-s upper end one can see the Day-dressed Lady holding the small Jesus on her arm. The sidewall arms (lamps?) are equally fine and original creations.

The organ was received from one of the best-known organ manufacturers in the Banat, Leopold Wegenstein in Temesvár. The organ in Deszk is a so-called pneumatic organ. It has a romantic sound. It is not large, but in spite of this it has a very good sound due to the excellent acoustics of the church. During the existence of the originally Austrian masters workshop, they have built some 400 organs for the historic regional people.

The bells call to prayer since 1906. During the jubilee week the 7 centner weight 65 kg bell among the three bells in Deszk was heard in the Kossuth Rádió. It was manufactured at the 900th year aniversary of King Stephen’s death in 1938 by László Slezák, bell-casting master in Budapest.

Three are buried in the crypt: The founder Baron Ferenc Gerliczy, who died in 1914. His wife died in 1943 and Baroness Géza Fejérváry, born Sarolta Biedermann, the founder’s mother-in-law who died in 1924.

All the local parish priests and chaplains (curators) undertook a lot for the Lady of the Hungarians parish church and for the parish church of Deszk. Among them, the most prominent parish priest was Gyula Jakab, who also served a long time, who in fact carried the fate of the village and its inhabitants in his heart for 30 years. Let us think of them during today’s jubilee. Let us also take care of this wonderful church and its treasures, to enable the God lovers to enter here for a long time.

Zsuzsanna Tóth – George Gerliczy