Cathedral of Hajdúdorog

Cathedral of Hajdúdorog
Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Presentation of Mary in Hajdúdorog
Aerial view of the cathedral
Cathedral of Hajdúdorog Position in Hungary
Coordinates: 47°49′03″N 21°29′58″E / 47.817616°N 21.499556°E / 47.817616; 21.499556
Location	Hajdúdorog
Country	Hungary
Denomination	Hungarian Greek Catholic
Website	gorkatszekesegyhaz.hu
History
Founded	1764 September 2
Founder(s)	András Bacsinszky
Dedication	Presentation of Mary
Dedicated	1876
Consecrated	1772 November
Relics held	Saint Stephen and Clemens Maria Hofbauer
Events	Extended in 1868–1872; Renovated in 1937–1938, 1989–1990 and 2000–2006
Past bishop(s)	István Miklósy, Miklós Dudás
Architecture
Status	Cathedral
Heritage designation	National Cultural Heritage
Designated	1958
Style	Baroque Revival
Specifications
Length	38 m (124 ft 8 in)
Width	21 m (68 ft 11 in)
Height	48 m (157 ft 6 in)
Materials	Brick
Bells	3
Administration
Archdiocese	Archeparchy of Hajdúdorog
Clergy
Archbishop	Péter Fülöp Kocsis

The Cathedral of Hajdúdorog, officially Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Presentation of Mary in Hajdúdorog (Hungarian: Hajdúdorogi Istenszülő Bevezetése a Templomba Székesegyház) is the cathedral of the Archeparchy of Hajdúdorog, Hungary. This status ranks the cathedral among the most important buildings of the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church. The origins of the current cathedral reaches back to 1312, when historical notes mention that a church existed in the medieval settlement of Dorogegyháza. However, the present building has got 17th century foundations, and it went through several building extensions and renovations during its history. The latest restoration just ended in 2006.

Pope Pius X raised the church to the rank of a cathedral in 1912 when he erected the Diocese of Hajdúdorog with the papal bull Christifideles Graeci. The interior reflects the traditions of the Greek Catholic liturgy and architecture. The most spectacular sign of it is the 200 years old iconostasis. The 11 meters (36 feet) tall wall of icons separates the three naves and the altar. The iconostasis contains 54 holy images and it is considered as one of the most important iconostasis in Hungary.

More than 80% of the inhabitants of Hajdúdorog are Greek Catholic thus the cathedral is a central scene for the everyday life of the town, especially during major religious feast days. The most visited events of the cathedral are the Christmas procession and the traditional Easter services when a local bread, the pászka is sanctified.

The predecessor of the modern days Hajdúdorog was founded around the beginning of the 12th century. The center of the medieval town should have been around the present area of the cathedral. The manuscripts from 1312 name the town Dorogegyháza meaning Church of Dorog. This let historians think that some sort of Catholic church stood in the center of the settlement, probably in the place of today's cathedral.

However, the present character of the religion in Hajdúdorog started to take shape after the settlement of the Hajduks in the 17th century. According to the diploma of Korpona, issued by prince Stephen Bocskay in 1605 and reassured by palatine György Thurzó in 1616, Dorog along with other towns in the region became the possession of the Hajduks. The prince also granted them titles of nobility as a reward for their help in the wars against the Turks. The new owners of Dorog were all warriors and Orthodox Christians, but according to the palatine's list, most of them had Hungarian names. The Hajduks finally settled to Dorog in 1616. The first notes about the settlement's Byzantine rite community are from 1638. Bazil Taraszovics, bishop of Munkács appointed Dorog's priest, Radivoj Marinics, archdeacon. The remarkable position refers to the strength and prestige of the community. The Hajduks started to build a small fort in the center of the town. To defend the fort, they also constructed a brick watchtower. The tower was finished by 1640, and now it serves as the lower part of the cathedral's bell tower. Within the walls of Hajdúdorog, close to the watchtower, stood the remains of the old stone church. A number of Romanians fled to the newly established town to escape from the Turkish troops. The Byzantine community was soon split to two parishes: one parish served in Romanian language and the other in Church Slavonic (Hungarian wasn't a liturgical language in Eastern Orthodoxy, so it couldn't be used). The two parishes agreed in the use of the church building in 1667. The fort, the stone church and the watchtower were seriously damaged during the wars of the 17th century. In 1742 the tower was rebuilt close to the medieval church, and it reached the height of 24 m (78.7 ft.).
In 1646, the Hajduks were still busy with the construction of their fortifications against the Turkish army, when in Ungvár Eastern Orthodox bishops and priests signed the Union of Ungvár creating a new and independent Greek Catholic Apostolic Vicariate, where later Hajdúdorog belonged to.