Festival of families

The IEC organisers welcome and invite all ages for the Congress programs. The IEC Festival of Families, to be held on Margaret Island, is organized by the Families in Jesus Catholic Community. The event is part of the “Catholic Social Days” (KATTÁRS) program series initiated by the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. Families are greeted by well-known performers on two podiums with talks and music. Just to sample a few of the artists: Ági Szalóki, András Berecz, the Hajdú Folk Dance Ensemble of Debrecen, the Mistral Musical Group, and neurosurgeon András Csókay.

Tents are going to be set up around the podiums, where each age group will find relevant topics to their interest, be it either self-knowledge, relationship issues or environmental questions. Children are awaited by monastic orders and communities, offering them handicraft sessions, treasure hunting, geocaching, wall climbing and a variety of sport activities.

It is a great pleasure for all of us to be able to organise such a super event in the very period when families and fathers receive special attention. Pope Frances launched the Year of the Family on the 5th anniversary of the publication of his Apostolic Exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia”, and even the special year of St. Joseph, focusing on the fathers, is still on.

Organisers of the IEC Festival of Families would like the encouragement of Apostle Paul to determine the spirituality of this time spent together: “I have become all things to all people so that by all means I might save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22) Our organizing principle is: all benevolent people are invited and awaited for the event. Programs are offered for all ages.

More than 70 tents are available for everyone interested in handicraft sessions, spiritual talks, confession possibilities, intercessory prayer, moreover, even recreational and leisure facilities are provided here for everybody. We can meet with members of monastic orders, communities and other aid organisations as well.

The talks and music programs are to be held on two podiums. Performers, in addition to their shows, will talk about their lives, faith, their meeting with God and how they were seeking their path – this spiritual motif of the event fundamentally tells apart the IEC Festival of Families from any other family programs.

Performers of the grand podium:

• Ági Szalóki
• Hajdú Folk Dance Ensemble of Debrecen
• Kaláka Musical Group
• András Berecz
• Mistral Musical Group
• Magidom, Musical Artists
• Robi Bérczesi
• Eucharist Orchestra
• Béla Pintér, László Prazsák, Misi Mező, László Csiszér, Jenő Sillye

Performers of the chamber podium:

• Dr Csaba Nemes (creation protection)
• Father Zoltán Orsós and Erika Liszli - Cappuccino program
• Pál Oberfrank
• András Hodász and Pál Göttinger
• Irish Coffee band
• Boys Choir of the Eger Archdiocese
• Balázs Bolyki and the B4
• Dr András Csókay
• Flamma Cordis Violin Duo
• Shalom community

Topics to be covered in the tent for talks:

• What on earth creation protection is for?
• Daily routine best practices in the creation protection
• Partnership issues
• Friars on vocation care
• The Christian Roma College Network introduces himself

Attending the programs is taken as a testimony as well: a testimony of God, the Church, the marriage and family, and a standing up for the protection of the created world. To close the event, organisers plan to take a drone photo of the Eucharist, shaped by the attendees. Following this “family photo”, with the leadership of János Székely we walk together to Kossuth Square to attend a Ceremonial Holy Mass, and afterwards to take part in one of the most beautiful events of the IEC, the Candlelight Procession.

The Festival of Families is open to everyone, neither attendance fee nor registration is required.