The Church in Hungary

Ferenc Palánki, the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza, celebrated a funeral Mass for Kálmán Szegedi on September 17 at the Sacred Heart Church in Debrecen. Szegedi, an honorary canon and parish priest, died on September 12 at age 69 after 44 years of priesthood.

In his homily, Palánki described the priesthood as a response of love to God's call, noting that a priest serves as both a man of God and a man of the people. He highlighted Szegedi's commitment to God and the Church during illness and hardship, his role in connecting people to God through the sacraments and the Word, and his diligent, conscientious work.

Szegedi served as a parish priest in Demecser and at the Sacred Heart Parish in Debrecen. He also held various responsibilities within the diocese, including serving as a high ecclesiastical judge. The Mass was co-celebrated by Zoltán Krakomperger, István Németh, and other local priests.

Ferenc Palánki celebrated Mass and a blessing for the renovated church in Tiszavasvár on September 12. Palánki, the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza and the appointed archbishop of Kalocsa-Kecskemét, led the service. Pilgrims from the Diocese of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza, the Diocese of Szatmár, and the Diocese of Nyíregyháza attended the event.

The renovation was part of the Catholic Event Tourism project in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg and Satu Mare Counties, funded by the Interreg VI-A Romania-Hungary Program. This cross-border project involves cooperation between the dioceses of Szatmár, Nyíregyháza, and Debrecen-Nyíregyháza to renew religious and cultural heritage and strengthen community ties. Bishop's secretary István Németh presented the results of the project during the celebration.

Ferenc Palánki celebrated Mass to open the 130th anniversary academic year for the Svetits Katolikus Óvoda, Általános Iskola, Gimnázium és Kollégium in Debrecen. The jubilee year began with the Mass in the school chapel, which was co-celebrated by Viktor Zsódi, the Piarist provincial.

The school began operations in September 1896 as a girls' school established by merchant Mátyás Svetits and his wife. The institution has provided continuous education through wars and the communist dictatorship. Following the change in regime, the School Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary regained the building and expanded the education offered. The gymnasium became coeducational in 2012.

Palánki, the dean of the Kalocsa-Kecskemét Archdiocese, stated that the primary task of the school is to prepare young people to fulfill their missions. He noted that while the Church and diocese do not aim for institutional maintenance itself, the school serves as a tool for preaching the gospel.

M. Luca Németh, head of the Debrecen community of the School Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary, said the school maintains an ecumenical spirit and does not exclude Reformed students.

Bishop Jesús José Herrera Quiñónez of Culiacán called on the Sinaloa cartel to stop its violence, telling the criminal factions that no amount of power is worth more than a human life.