About the Mission Cross

The cross was designed back in 2007 for the Mission on the City. The three metres twenty centimetres tall oak-wood cross with bronze linings was made by the goldsmith Csaba Ozsvári (1963-2009), and it is kept in the Cathedral of Esztergom. Its floral ornamentations recall the motives of the goldsmith works of the time of the Hungarian Conquest. This cross is not only a unique piece of craftsmanship, but also a reliquary. In the centre of the cross, in a silver holder you can find the relic of the Holy Cross, and abound it embedded in the leaves there are the relics of the Hungarian Saints. The cross was first exhibited on the occasion of the Mission on the City in Budapest in 2007, since then it is kept in the northern apex of the Cathedral of Esztergom. In the last ten years the metal parts of the cross have become oxidized, so the restoration turned out to be necessary. The works of cleaning and conserving were done by the goldsmith and restorer János Szabó, who also was present by the birth of the cross. During the restoration they managed to remove the corrosion layer by rinsing, brushing, grinding and polishing. As a final act the restorer brushed the dried parts with airtight lacquer, so the bronze ornaments will keep their shining for years. During the reassembling on the spot the relics of five new Hungarian Saints and blessed - St. Martin, Blessed Gisella, Blessed Tódor Romzsa, Blessed Vilmos Apor, Blessed Zoltán Meszlényi - were also added to enrich the mission cross.