On September 1, the Vocational High School of the Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University held its academic year opening ceremony at the Roman Catholic Church in Berehove.
True to tradition, the event took place within the framework of an ecumenical worship service. Sermons were delivered by János Molnár, Episcopal Vicar of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mukachevo and parish priest of the Roman Catholic Parish of Berehove, János Margitics, pastor of the Reformed Congregation of Berehove, and István Marosi, pastor of the Greek Catholic Parish of Berehove.
Following the singing of our national prayer and the anthem of the University of Rakoczi, Katalin Soós, Director of the Vocational High School, was the first to address the students and teachers.
“A start to the academic year is always about the future. About what we do not yet know, what we are preparing for, what we do not yet understand, but look forward to with love. Five years of war have taught us that not everything depends on us. We have learned that our plans can change from one day to the next, and that there are questions to which we still do not know the answer today. But we have also learned something else: that despite the uncertainty, it is possible and necessary to press forward,”
she emphasized.
In her welcome address, Zsuzsanna Baracsi, Consul at the Consulate of Hungary in Berehove, called for the preservation of the Hungarian language and culture.
“In recent years, the Vocational High School of the University of Rakoczi has grown into one of the most stable bastions of Hungarian-language education and culture in Transcarpathia, securing the opportunity to learn in one’s native language and to thrive in one’s homeland,”
she added.
Zoltán Babják, Mayor of Berehove, expressed gratitude to the instructors for their persistent work in his speech.
“A new chapter has begun today in the life of the Vocational High School of the University of Rakoczi. I offer my heartfelt congratulations and sincere thanks to the entire leadership of the institution for their dedicated work,”
he said.
Following the welcome addresses, Dávid Béres, an 11th-grade student, recited Judit Bártfai’s poem titled Új tanév – új évad.
This was followed by the oath-taking of the first-year students, led by 10th-grade student Melánia Lőrinc.
After the oath-taking, Ildikó Orosz, President of the University of Rakoczi, and Katalin Soós welcomed the first-year students with a handshake. Members of the choir then performed the song Sulidal, prepared by music teacher Marianna Dancs.
In her closing address, Ildikó Orosz, President of the University of Rakoczi, explained that the Vocational High School had changed its profile this year and would continue its work as an academic lyceum.
“Our institution is not merely a venue for the transmission of knowledge, but the place where we create value and preserve value—that is, the future itself, which springs from the past, takes root there, and the deeper its roots, the stronger the ground it stands on,”
she added.
Finally, representatives of the historic churches invoked God’s blessing upon the lives and work of all those present.
The ceremony concluded with the singing of the Szózat.
Anita Kurmay
