Capuchins and Pezinok
The
site of Pezinok Capuchin Monastery and church is a historic landmark since it
was the first place in Austria-Hungary where Capuchins settled. Their arrival
in Pezinok was strongly attributed to the riotous social and religious
situation in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1670’s.
Capuchins
found Pezinok their dwelling place in June 10th, 1674. However, the
building of their monastery began much later after their arrival. This must
have been caused by the fact that they were using the parish church and were
staying in the parish building. The delay of the construction was also due to
the social state of affairs, especially the tense situation at the turn of the
17th and 18th centuries stemming from the aristocrat-led
uprisings. The rebellious circumstances brought the town construction activity
to a stand still. As a result, Pezinok Capuchins started the construction of
the site after the social situation became stable.
The
monastery and church buildings were located at the northwest edge of the town
fort, on the estate contributed by Baron Hedly. The foundation stone of the
monastery was laid in 1715 and that of the church in 1718. The construction,
facilitated by donors, for example the P
á
lfy
family, the Koháry family, the Imperial Court, lasted for several years and was
realized in several stages due to financial problems. The church was finished
in 1721. According to the chronicle, the Capuchins served the first mass in a
yet unordained church in 1726; in the same year they moved from the former
parish building into the so far unfinished monastery. The church was
consecrated in 1730.
In 2004,
Capuchins celebrated 330 years of their arrival in Pezinok. Their presence had
had undeniable impact on the history of the town and the whole region in both
religious and cultural senses. Even though the church had been under clerical
management since 1989, Capuchins could fully reconvene their activities in Pezinok
only after the charity abandoned the monastery in 2004. The monastery was
returned to Capuchins in a dilapidated state.
The
intended reconstruction and extension of the Pezinok Capuchin monastery estate
offers an exceptional opportunity to resurrect a unique genius locus of the
first Capuchin monastery in the Austria-Hungary region; at the same time it
provides a chance to build a modern forming and educational centre that,
supported by international institutional cooperation, could gain significance
also outside the region. Such opportunities derive from the wealth of potential
lying in the cooperation among Capuchins and other Franciscan orders in
Slovakia, from the intensive contact with the residents of the region,
especially with the youth, from the outstanding location and from the absence
of a similar facility in Slovakia.
