Organist Varnus Xavér bought an abandoned church in Mezőlak

Varnos Xavier told a TV channel on Tuesday morning that he had seen a few days ago a church for sale in a newspaper at the airport. He called the Mayor of Mezlak, Gabor Nagy, met him on Tuesday, looked at the building and decided to buy it. Although everyone everywhere referred to the building as a church, the head of the settlement clarified that it was private property and not church property. The mother parish status of the Mezőlak Church ceased in 2002, when the Evangelical Diocese of Mezőlak-Mihályháza-Nagyacsád was established. Based on the opinion of experts, in 2004 the congregation decided to move the church to the school building, which in the meantime was reclaimed. The construction of the new place of worship began in 2006, then in 2009 it was decided to offer the old church and parish for sale in the settlement since a new church was built in the settlement. It was bought by a businessman of papal origin. In recent years, with the purpose of providing value, the municipality has made several offers to purchase the church. This could not have happened, as the owner had doubled the agreed amount as negotiations progressed, or had not been available for months.

– Varnus Xavér had many questions about the settlement, in which it is possible to list what it represents. I liked him very much and he liked the village too. He said I convinced him, when he left I felt he had made up his mind. Earlier, many people in the village were interested in how the building was to be used; They wanted a hatchery and disco here, but it just doesn’t fit the place. This is God’s house, there shouldn’t be a pub here. It is necessary to spend on the building, but Xavér has a network of communications, and also offered to help me at the municipal level – according to the mayor, the people who live in the settlement are also happy. He added that they had always wanted to hold a year-end party during the Advent period, and now there will be concerts.
Organist Varnus Xavér is well known in the province. He gave concerts in several cities, in Veszprém, Balatonkenes, Tihany, Csigó mill in Gyulakesz, organized a music festival in Koveskal, and played the organ in Lesenceistvánd, where he owns a house. He now organizes an organ festival in Mezlak near Baba.
– This was as spontaneous as everything in my case – Xavér Varnus told us. – The title of the article appeared in a newspaper stating that the church was sold. I felt this should be bought. I called Peter Ganks, president and retired bishop of the Hungarian Evangelical Church, whom I know very well. He said that it was finally a good example, that an empty church could be used for good. I did not buy the building from the church but from the owner of the house who used it as storage. I came to Mazlak and looked at the building from top to bottom, it is well equipped. The church can accommodate 140 people, and forty cars will be able to park in long stands. We already have the device, it will arrive from Stuttgart in January, by that time the room should be adequate. It is as large as the organ of the church in Veszprém, larger than the one in Tihany, it has 2,800 tubes, I negotiated with the builder doing the transfer. I hope we can organize the first festival in the spring. I really want. The mayor is nice and willing. I asked him if he would be happy to have a classical music festival here. He responded with such an experience that I felt he meant it.
The organist told us that in Canada, in Nova Scotia, where he lives, he is organizing an organ festival from May 15, because winter lasts there. European winter ends early. He’s planning a one-and-a-half to two-month spring festival at Mezlak Church, on Sunday afternoon, so that everyone can go to the party comfortably. The audience is delighted with concerts, and the musicians are also delighted with this opportunity. He will also invite his musical friends to Mezőlak, an old friend of married violinist Katalin Kelemen Barnabás-Kokas. Varnus Xavér will be giving concerts in Hungary between October 27 and November 6 – at the Palace of Arts, Debrecen, Szeged, Zalaegerszeg – and the interior renovation of the Mezőlak building should be completed by the end of December.

– I would like to cover the walls with a layer of marble slabs that have more resonance than the existing panels. We open the roof to be with the attic, so that everything seems larger. I will review the building with an architect to see if my ideas are correct.
According to the artist’s plans, he will spend January, February and March in Umbria, it is not necessary to install the organ, it will be done by the builder of the organ. He added that he has a very good impression of Mezlak. He is confident that it can be an attractive concert venue for the public in Pápa, Veszprém and Győr.
Sándor Polgárdi, Dean of the Anglican Diocese of Veszprém, spoke of how congregants did not have the financial resources to renovate the church, it was beyond their capacity. Everyone is very happy that Varnus Xavér bought the building, and it will once again become a sacred square, in an orderly and beautiful environment.
The family of Melinda Magiar, an evangelical pastor from Orajvalo, lives in Mizulaki. He went to this church with his parents, sister Cecilia and grandparents, his parents got married here, and he was ordained a priest here by Archbishop Emre Zebek. He said it was painful to see the neglected state of the former house of worship, it no longer exists as a church, and now it is my pleasure that the building has regained its dignity. It was a place filled with God’s presence, and now it would be again. Both his family and the people of Mizulaki received the news with enthusiasm.