The Blessed Ceferino Institute was founded by the Conference of Hungarian Catholic Bishops (MKPK) in 2014. The main activity of the institute is to support clerical people, teachers of religion and their associates who are in charge of the pastoral work of the gypsies. Therefore staff members shall use their personal contacts to realise the emerging needs in the fields of methodology and pastoral care and they try to support those on service through meetings and trainings.
We are in cooperation with Caritas in Veritate Commission, we are placing great emphasis on the contact with the gipsy pastoral rapporteurs of the diocese and the leaders and representatives of the local church communities. We are urging cooperation with the local groups of Catholic Caritas.
The institute is pioneering in its diligence to promote gipsy pastoral activity and communities nationwide. It has a major role in strengthening the spiritual communities among the groups, in demonstrating good practices, and in encouraging exchanges of experience with other civil organisations.
For years the institute has been supporting pilgrimagages to Mátraverebély-Szentkút and Máriapócs. The National Gipsy Pastoral Conference in Eger also enjoys our financial support and cooperation under the leadership of Ceferino House as the main organiser.
In 2019 Ceferino Institute on behalf of MKPK tries to manage the representation of interests of study halls with catholic background. We are dealing with over 40 of these schools. Thus the Roman and Greek Catholic church can participate in the lives of some 1000 children and their families, with significant evangelisation.
It is equally important that the Sója Miklós Open House Alliance has been strengthened and the support system of open houses has been developed. Opportunities for state cooperation is also our aim.
We give priority to keep contact with gipsy colleges and mentoring networks.
TRAINIG OF CO-WORKERS
The School of Faith: employee training for pastoral work – gipsy pastoral specification has been going on for four years. Here we educate -mainly gipsy- employees who will be able to build gipsy church communities committedly, who as go-between will find connection both between gipsy and non-gipsy, church and society. By now, groups of 3-5 people come from settlements, which means that they as a central core will serve together in their surroundings. Over the last years the training has been in seven locations, and more than 135 people could get their certification.
Our aim is to create gipsy Christian communities in as many settlements as possible, and to make our staff mediators in between the gipsy communities, the schools, the municipalities and the majority society. We also wish that our trained could work in the community houses run by the Catholic Church.
APPLICATIONS
The project with the title: The pastoral programs for the preservation of gipsy culture (EFOP 1.3.4-16-2017.007) is under way within the implementation of the institute. The events organised in the project offer opportunities for teaching gipsy traditions, dance and music, and also provide possibilities for evangelisation and prayers. Within the project people can acquire gipsy folk clothes, can publish cd-s of gipsy musicians playing songs of praise. A book on the Hungarian gipsy pastoral work has also been published.
The transnational project: Gipsy pastoration in the Carpathian Basin – Increasing the social sensitivity of church and civilian experts (EFOP.5.2.2-17-2017-0007) -implemented by the consortium of the Caritas of Szombathely diocese and the Blessed Ceferino Institute- makes it possible to organise gipsy pastoral meetings for priests, monks, teachers of religion their co-workers and social experts throughout the country. Hungarian nationals, experts and volunteers working with gipsy communities from outside the country can also participate in such events. Its main aim is to present the results of gipsy pastoral work, to provide methodological and pastoral practices, to present important places from the aspect of gipsy pastoration, and to share good practices. Questionnaire research, situation analysis and compilation of professional handout is also carried out with the involvement of present professionals. By the end of the project methodological recommendations, compendium of good practices, and a manual on gipsy pastoral work will also be prepared.
OUR CROSS-BORDER REALTIONS
At present, due to the Gipsy pastoral work in the Carpathian Basin project, the connections between Hungarian speaking gipsy communities in and outside the country have revitalised. There is a great need on both sides to share good practises and exchange experiences.
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
One of the activities of the institute is public employment. The program provides work and earning opportunities in some gipsy pastoral “centres” for our former volunteers and job-seekers. Their work is of great support for the activity of local communities, in the running of study halls and open houses. In this way they encourage Catholic gipsy pastoral ambition. There are currently 164 people working in the project.