Reformed Church of Kutyfalva (Cuci)

www.kutyfalva.uv.ro
Short history
Our village lays on the main road E-60 in Transylvania, between Cluj-Napoca and Tg-Mures, (36 km from Tg-Mures) on the right bank of the Mures river, and its name comes from the name of Khuty, perhaps an early-medieval patron of the local church. The name of village was first mentioned in 1339 as "Kugfolwa".
Cuci (in hungarian Kutyfalva) village today has approximately 1000 residents, in the following ethnical distribution: about 310 Hungarian (300 reformed), and 700 Romanian orthodox people. Our Church was built in the XV. Century, but after the Reformation, in the year of 1568 the church followed his patron-families into the Unitarian religion till 1715. (Pekry and Zeyk families) It was a significant Unitarian centre of this land. Pekry Lőrincz, and his wife - Petrőczi Kata Szidónia, the poet (1664-1708) were already reformed again - and one of their reformed descendents, the younger Dániel István was who renewed the church and enlarged with a baroque balcony. The building of the tower was started by Dániel István, but it was finished only in 1835. The tower has two bells. The smaller is from 1811, the big one is from 1925.
Church Life
In Kutyfalva the main problem was always the flood. The inundation from the year of 1970 harmed the village and the church. The level of water was 1,7 meter in the Church building. The damage was significant, but the old building of vicars’ house was not affected by the inundation. It was on a higher place. After the inundation was built a new house in place of the old one with help of the members of the church and the County. It was completed to 13th of October, 1974.
The first priest of our Church started his service 346 years ago, I am the 24th, from 1 May of 2001. My name is Székely Levente, I was born in Targu-Mures, my wife is also a priest, she has like service place a smaller village - Olahdellő, (Dileul Vechi) - which one is at 17 kilometers from Kutyfalva, where we live. We have one child, Anita, she has 4 years.
One of our desires is to work among the youth of this church. The intention comes from the fact, that the reformed youngsters of the church are menaced by the assimilation. I think the main problem is the absence of the Hungarian school. Only the elementary school is in Hungarian language at Cuci, after this they can choose between the Romanian school here (and orthodox religion in most time) or to shuttle to Ludus or Iernut - the proximate cities of Cuci.
We have 15-20 youngsters who attend the bible-study at every Saturday afternoon. But we know, they could be more in number, unfortunately some of them are not nearly interested in church’s life. The number of our church’s members decreases yearly, because the number of the funerals is higher that the total of the numbers of baptisms and weddings.
The confirmation of the youngsters is also a very important role of us. Last year we confirm 4 youngsters, but they attend the bible-study of the youngsters. We are happy when we can keep them in the community of our Church. To motivate them to be here, to bring them together, to give them something else, from God - this is our wish, but also the organization and control of the newly established Women Club of our church. Here I can tell about this Women Club that it attends to help where only the women can do this. Visiting the ills, and the older people of the church - giving them hope and food if necessary - the Club has begun his activity.
We are trying to make conferences for the youngsters of this land, to bring the young people together. We also keep bible-studies for the presbyters where we can discuss the recent problems of our community. Here I can mention our problem of place, because we have not a place big enough, where we could be together more then 20-25 persons. Last week we organized a Youth Conference with 60 youngsters invited, but we could do it only in the church building, and continue it in the court-yard of the vicar’s house...
We don’t have a church-fraternity yet, this is still the opportunity of the future. We hope we could have one. Some of the younger people of our church get their job in Iernut, so they live here are and are working at Iernut in the Thermal Power Station, built in 1960.
Our church has to renew his church-building, but it means an unbearable financial burden. The yearly contribution of the members (total income is 2500 Euro) is hardly enough for administration of our church. We have some agricultural incomes (600 Euro/year) and we have no other resources to build or renovate something. I can hope only in God’s help, I know He has His plans for the church of Kutyfalva.
Services and events
Sunday Morning service: 11,00 a clock and 18,00 a clock every Sunday (in winter at 16,00 a clock)
Bible school for the children: Saturday at 11,00 a clock
Catechesis: Saturday at 12,00 a clock
Bible Study for the youngsters: Saturday at 19,00 a clock
Bible Study for the Woman-Club: Sunday at 17,00 a clock
Bible Study for the presbyters: Monthly
Contact:
Kutyfalvi Református Egyházközség - REFORMED CHURCH OF KUTYFALVA
Székely Levente
szekelylevi@zappmobile.ro
Tel. 0040-(0)265-477346
Mobil. 0040-(0)745-751377
Post Address: Parohia Reformata Cuci - Nr. 110
547195 - Cuci, Mures, Romania