Lutheran service for peace in Sopron

A service in Ukrainian and Hungarian was held on Sunday in the congregation hall of the Lutheran parish in Sopron, organised by the Sopron Social and Development Centre of Hungarian Interchurch Aid and the congregation of the Hungarian Pentecostal Church in Sopron.

The joint prayer was attended by a large number of Hungarians and Ukrainian refugees. At the beginning of the service, Anita Demény, head of the Social and Development Centre of Hungarian Interchurch Aid in Sopron, gave a welcome speech.

 “Since the start of the conflict HIA has been providing various programmes for Ukrainian refugees. We help them in the integration process through community events and strengthen their abilities to be self-reliant in a Hungarian environment. We have also started a Hungarian language course and we are doing our best to make their integration as smooth as possible,” added Anita Demény.

The service continued with a prayer led by local Lutheran Pastor Dr. Károly Tóth.

Pastor Michael Balko from Mukacheve, Ukraine also addressed the audience. In his sermon, he expressed his happiness for being able to be there with his fellow countrymen in Sopron. “I heard that many refugees have come to this region, including Sopron. It was a joy for me to talk to these people personally today and to tell them that there is hope. It was a pleasure to come here, to pray for them, and especially to pray together for peace in Ukraine,” stressed Michael Balko.

Read more about the work of HIA’s Social and Development Centre in Sopron with Ukrainian refugees here.