Feast of King St Stephen in Transcarpathia

President of Hungary Katalin Novák commemorated King St Stephen with the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia in the Roman Catholic Church of Beregszász. At the ecumenical worship service, the bread personally baked by the Head of State on the occasion of the national holiday was blessed and consecrated.

The President said she was delighted to visit Transcarpathia again after nine months and to be able to celebrate King St Stephen with the people of Beregszász. 
In her speech delivered in the church, Katalin Novák highlighted that she brought the strength of 15 million Hungarians with her, then thanked all those who build and lead the local communities and help them survive for their perseverance. The President of Hungary called on those present to „take strength from our common, one-thousand-year long history, the members of the community, our shared Christian faith”.

The President of Hungary expressed hope that „we will have a common future, even if at this point, we cannot yet see how we will get there". 
Katalin Novák prayed for peace with the faithful who filled the church, then wreathed the bust of King St Stephen.  

President Novák met with the leaders of Hungarian political, church and educational organisations in Transcarpathia, the mother of a soldier killed in the war, and large families. The President of Hungary stressed that at her talks in Kiev the following day she would emphasize that "we count on the Hungarians to be able live in Transcarpathia in dignity, as befits them and Europe".