On the 26th of October 1930 it was
celebrated for the hundredth time, that the first school-prayer house was
consecrated and the Evangelicals of Feketitsch could hold church services in
their own place of worship. The community prepared with the joyous hope of
the desired celebration. Occasionally this festival filled the church with
the community to the last pew. The everlasting beautiful chorale "Now
everyone thanks God" was sung. Senior Jakob Jahn relied on the written
word of the gospel Matthew V., 1-10, whereupon the local pastor greeted the
guests and to be precise: Bishop's administrator Dr. Philipp Popp, chief
justice, the Senior, the representatives of the local German and Hungarian
Reformed congregations, the representatives of the political community, the
numerous representatives of our former beloved parent community Sekitsch, and
the festival community itself. After that the youth choir sang. They
followed with the main hymn: "I Know of Whom I Believe." Bishop Dr.
Philipp Popp entered the pulpit at this time and preached on the strength of
Romans 8.31b. "God is with us, who might be against us." - the festival
sermon. He thought of the love of God, which so far had provided the community
with protection, described the sorrow of the first Christians which they had
endured for their firm beliefs, led us to the difficult battle our
Evangelical ancestors fought for their beliefs; thought of our elders who in the
past 100 years have built for God. They were with God and God was with
them. However our future will be as we ourselves will be. It was a
festival sermon which is still not often heard in our nation's churches. The
men's choir sang "To You and Your Jehovah I Will Sing" and "A Solid Fortress is
Our God". Then the bishop said the closing prayer, gave the blessings and
performed the baptisms of the little sons of the parents Jakob Butscher,
businessman, and the teacher's daughter Erna Gotsch.
In memory of this 100 year
celebration Dr. V. Pratscher dedicated a church flag which already on the day
before the celebration, in an arrangement with the bishop who had already
arrived, was immediately hoisted on the church tower for the first time.
On the flag were the dates 1830-1930.
Since the first Kirchweih celebration
in 1830 just a hundred years have passed to the Kirchweih celebration of 1930.
The Evangelicals of Feketitsch have celebrated the Kirchweih festival a hundred
times so far. A hundred times with new hope, with fresh courage sown and
firm beliefs in God built, trusting in Him; A hundred times the rich gifts have
been harvested in
which the love of God reveals itself to us.
One hundred years during which the Germans diligently accomplished work, ending
with a happy Kirchweih festival at which the Evangelicals of Feketitsch can
thank the Almighty God in their own house of God.
"Stand firm by His Word, as rocks
stand, you gracious God, God of truth!
Years and centuries pass, and still
your goodness is renewed daily."
It would be nice to be in our lovely
congregation in the next 100 years so that the festival speaker at the 200th
celebration can also say "God is with us, who might be against us?"
Mixed Marriages
Between the two
congregations of Evangelicals and German Reformers there existed a peculiar
agreement according to which all children of mixed marriages would be educated
in the religion of the father. As long as it was left up to the person
managing the birth register in the pastor's office, everything worked out well.
When the registry moved to the council's office in the 90's, the religion of the
newborn could be enforced by the regulations of the religious laws.
However both congregations strongly agreed. So it produced ever greater
confusion if a girl came from a mixed marriage from outside the village, a birth
certificate would be demanded. The child who is Evangelical according to
the birth certificate and according to the law but is actually baptized in the
Reformed church and goes to Reformed religious instruction, etc. However,
there are also numerous cases in reverse. Of the 387 marriages the
Evangelical community had in 1935, there were 106 mixed marriages. In
other communities it happened according to the law and the reverse was decided
for the descendant's religion. This offense was almost completely unknown
in Feketitsch. In just the same patriarchal way is the church tax for
mixed marriages regulated. It is highly questionable if this confusion
could be stopped in the long run. Mixed marriages with other nationalities
is extremely rare. Our Germans have never entered into a marriage with
non-Aryans. Converting from one denomination to the other seldom occurs,
but it does nevertheless happen.
