2011-10-23

MEP Csaba Sógor was the guest of the fourth edition of the Harvest Festival in Dobra. On the 22nd of October, the village became the meeting point of locals and those who have left the village.

MEP Csaba Sógor was the patron of the traditional harvest celebration organized in the village in Satu Mare County. The new school, that has recently gained independent status, was inaugurated during the course of the morning. This was followed by a festive sermon held by the Dean of the Carei Reformed Diocese, Sándor Nagy. The series of events continued with the presentation of the monograph of the village made by local priest Szabolcs Kurta-Tőtös. MEP Csaba Sógor wrote the fore-word of the monograph. The local priest said that the book entitled Memories and Experiences is about the people of Dobra and their ancestors, it contains replicas of documents that mention the village, as well as personal memoirs and family photos.

In the fore-word written for the book, MEP Csaba Sógor remembers his childhood, his summer vacations to Dobra: „This is the village where I spent my first holidays without my parents or siblings, where I had the chance to eat gem made before the communist takeover or where, together with my father, I slept on cold November nights in an unheated room just like the cadets at the military school: without moving, in a horizontal position of attention so that our feet, noses of hands would not hang out from under our blankets.”
In his festive speech, the MEP quoted the 7th verse of the 13th part of the Letter to the Jews from the Bible and said, that we can find our way easier in the labyrinths of today if we draw strength from the resistance of our forefathers.

- This village had a zoo and a fruit processing plant and those who returned from the work camps at the Danube Channel, showing solidarity, built a dam protecting the village from spring floods in a very short time and even protected their townsmen from communist authorities, if needed. Today we see that schools are closing everywhere. Instead we have just inaugurated the new school of the village. I am confident that those who come after us will have good things to say about us and we will become an example for them – Sógor explained.

The event closed with placing wraiths at the Turul statue in the church’s garden, followed by the cultural program provided by the village’s youth and the traditional harvest celebration. All the profits of the celebration will be donated to the church for the building of a funeral home.