Chapter 15 - Village Church, Kophaza

Bob and I went to dinner at Levanda, a restaurant in the Hungarian village of Kophaza, just east of Sopron. Afterwards, we went to investigate the small village church just a couple of blocks away. From plaques in the church we learned about the village and the church. The village is ethnically Croatian, and the church was built in 1785 in the Baroque style common to this area.

In 2005 the Council of Europe formally certified the route between Tours, France and Szombathely, Hungary as a European Cultural Route to introduce the life and cult of St. Martin. One of Europe's most popular saints and the patron saint of Gaul, St. Martin was born in Szombathely. As a soldier in the Roman army, he was noted for bravery, kindness and sympathy. He became a Christian, then a priest and eventually a bishop in fourth century Gaul (France) where he founded a monastery in Poitier. When the people of Tours elected him bishop in 371, he tried to avoid the appointment by hiding in a goose stall. The geese betrayed him with their gobbling, and afterwards the goose became the animal symbol for St. Martin. Over 3,000 communities and churches in Europe have been named in honor of St. Martin.

Two front views of the church.




World War I Memorial on the side of the church.


Note the rifle, the sword with its hilt and tassel,
knife, kepi-style cap and flag pole with standard.