News

The team of Saint Elizabeth Elderly Home in Oradea took part in the first Senior Olympics held in Biharkeresztes. The event was organized by the House of Providence Reformed Elderly Home with the support of the Reformed Charity Service and the Municipality of Biharkeresztes.

Led by Deacon Mag. Peter Zidar, a dedicated supporter of Caritas Catolica for several decades, a five-member delegation of Austrian deacons visited Oradea from May 4 to 7. During their stay, they met with His Excellency Bishop László Böcskei and visited several departments and charitable programs operated by Caritas Catolica.

For the fourth time, Caritas Catolica Oradea organized its now traditional international volunteer week between April 9–16. As part of the program, 13 students from the Dutch Melanchthon de Blesewic secondary school, together with several young people from Oradea, volunteered for a week in the social programs of Caritas, under the guidance of teachers Karin Vermeulen and Jan de Jong, as well as program coordinator Tamás Szombati-Gille. They carried out service in nursing homes, orphanages, a homeless shelter and disadvantaged communities under the auspices of the diocesan charity organization.

In a warm and celebratory atmosphere, on Monday, March 27, a fire engine was officially handed over, providing new momentum to the training of volunteer firefighters in Diosig and contributing to increased safety in the region. The event also marked another milestone in a decades-long partnership built on trust, in which Caritas Catolica once again played a key intermediary role.

On March 5, the city of Oradea celebrated the commitment and generosity of its civic community at the annual Volunteers’ Gala organized by the Social Assistance Directorate (DASO). We are proud to share that Mr. Michael Wöhrer, nominated by Caritas Catolica, was among those recognized for outstanding volunteer service. For more than a decade, Mr. Wöhrer, an Austrian civil engineer and retired professor, has dedicated his time and energy to organizing volunteer work camps that brought students from Austria to Oradea, where they contributed to the restoration of the former St. Joseph Hospital building, which today is the headquarters of Caritas.

Last week, between 25–27 November, two Dutch professional trainers, Liesbeth den Besten and Inge van den Broek, held a training session for the employees of Caritas Catolica in Oradea on dementia care and the prevention of workplace burnout. The three-day program, supported by the Priscilla Foundation in the Netherlands, brought together twenty-five Caritas employees working in nursing homes and home-care services, including medical assistants, caregivers, and social workers.

Today we delivered used but excellent-condition Austrian school bags, supplies, and sweets to the pupils of grades I–IV at the Lucreția Suciu Primary School in Oradea.

On Wednesday, we had the pleasure of welcoming the Várad Deanery to the St. Joseph Center, which serves as the headquarters of Caritas Catolica.

With deep sorrow in our hearts, we accompanied on his final journey our former esteemed colleague, Imre Kertész, master carpenter, who last week, at the age of 74, returned his soul to the Creator. Since the '60s he had been in the service of the Church, and from the very foundation of Caritas he was one of its dedicated collaborators. His distinctive character, cheerful spirit, and professional humility became inseparably tied to our organization. The windows and many of the finely crafted wooden doors of the Canon's Row building remain as living testimony to his craftsmanship.

We are delighted that, thanks to our international partners, we were able to equip the team of the Bihar County Volunteer Fire and Disaster Management Association in the North-West region with standard fire protection uniforms.