St George’s Church

A folk high school functioned until 1949 in this parish established by the unification of four villages (Kisgógánfa, Egyházasfalu, Dasztifalu and Keresztény) that had grown together. Egyházasfalu’s ancient church was ministered over by prominent pastors. These include János Sylvester (1504-1551), an Evangelical writer and translator of the Bible, and Endre Réffy (1828-1905). The latter took part in the 1848-49 War of Independence as a Piarist ordinand, thus suffering imprisonment, and was then parish priest for 32 years. Under his ministry, the new church was built according to the plans of József Ullein. Built in 1888, the neo-Romanesque church was affixed to the nave of the old church and its 33-metre-high tower was reconstructed and preserved. The high altarpiece depicting St George was painted by Ferenc Storno. Its altars and pulpit were made in Tyrol while its sculptures were carved in János Heckenast’s Szombathely workshop.