The two highlights of the farewell weekend are the festive liturgy. On Saturday at 18.00, Archbishop György Udvardy will present the St Gellért Awards during a festive Holy Mass. The next day, at 7.00 a.m., students, young people and brave people will set off on a pilgrimage on foot from Litér, and at 10.00 a.m. they will join the pilgrimage of the parishes of the town from the St. Michael statue, arriving together at the Holy Trinity Square for the traditional festive Holy Mass, led by László Felföldi, Bishop of Pécs.
The three-day programme of events in the castle will be opened on Friday by the Choir of St Michael's Cathedral, which will give a jubilee concert on the occasion of its 15th anniversary, with the participation of music director and organist Attila Dankos.
The next day, 28 September, at 10 am, the Hungarian Air Force Band will perform the Gizella Fanfare, which will kick off the programme. The weekend offers a range of valuable and interesting activities for all ages. Among the family and children's activities, the Theo-caching telephone adventure game following in the footsteps of St Michael, the new traveling carving and collection of traveling carvings related to the Magdalena Maria Bódi, or the asphalt drawing for children and adults on the asphalt temporarily installed for historical investment, are particularly exciting. But there will also be a chance to paint coats of arms, decorate glass windows, solve exciting puzzles and a range of craft, logic and creative activities for children and adults alike.
Visitors to the castle are invited on an exciting adventure: on Saturday, Archbishop Dr. György Udvardy, and on Sunday, the mayor of our city, Gyula Porga, will give a subjective guided tour of the ancient and baroque buildings.
We can listen to glass designer Barnabás Wölfinger, RSCJ Erika Tornya, who will tell us how Bódi Mária Magdolna would live today. Attila Pém, project manager, and Tamás Vörös DLA, chief architect, will introduce the audience to the renewal of the castle district.
In addition to the silent prayers, the individual audio-guided tour of the cathedral, the Magdi exhibition in St. Imre Church, the film screening and Mindszenty documents in the palace, the creative embroidery, the wine tasting, the creative garden, the evening baroque garden, the book launch, the organ music, but there are also countless other exciting moments to make your stay a memorable experience.
The Biró-Giczey House opens its doors to a wide range of cultural, religious and art history exhibitions. This is also the starting point for guided WIP tours, which will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the current regeneration of the castle quarter.
The Charity of the Archdiocese of Veszprém will organise a sensitisation programme for children and adults, who will learn about the everyday life of wheelchair and white cane users, as well as their own physical limitations.
For the second year running, we are running a prize draw for all visitors who take part in the activities, collect stamps here and enter the prize draw for a bicycle. And why the bike as the main prize?On 26 April 2025, we are preparing for the beatification of Mária Magdolna Bódi. Magdi was a cheerful young girl who loved and followed Christ. Magdi loved cycling very much. We would like to remember her with this game.
During the programmes, it will again be possible to waffle and chat with priests and monks.
In addition, we are waiting for our dear families, young people and visitors with countless interesting and valuable programmes! Browse through our rich programme booklet!