Xploring Budapest: Cave Church
- 21 Mar 2024 6:34 AM
This very special church in Budapest is inspired by Our Lady of Lourdes in France, and built into the rocks and caves of the Gellért Hill - as the video below shows.
The Cave Church was founded in 1926 by expanding the hermit's cave. The church was further enlarged in the 1930s by the Archbishop of Kalocsa to hold more worshippers, using the grotto at Lourdes as a model.
In 1951, the Communist secret police arrested the entire order of Pauline monks. The superior Ferenc Vezer was condemned to death, while the others received 5- to 10-year prison sentences.
The chapel was blocked up with a 2.25m thick concrete wall, behind which it stood silent for nearly 40 years.
After the fall of Communism in 1989, the Cave Church was returned to the Paulite order and immediately reopened.
The Cave Chapel's small interior, with natural rock walls and various niches filled with statues and altars, is atmospheric and peaceful.
The acoustics of the cave make for a memorable experience when music is played during a service. Outside, there are fine views of Liberty Bridge and a modern statue of St. Istvan holding a church.
Opening hours:
Mon-Sat 9:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Sundays closed.
Click here to know more about the Cave Church
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