St. Stephen Harding Church in Apátistvánfalva
St. Stephen Harding Church in Apátistvánfalva or Apátistvánfalvian Church (Hungarian: Apátistvánfalvai Harding Szent István templom, Slovene: Cerkev Svetega Štefana v Števanovci Prekmurje Slovene: Števanovska cerkev Svétoga Števana Hardinga) is a Baroque Roman Catholic Church in the village of Apátistvánfalva (Števanovci), Hungary.
Today, mass is shown in Hungarian and the local Prekmurje Slovenian dialect.
The bishop of Vas, János Szily, aided in the construction and also supported building a school in the village.
The new parish included Permise (now Kétvölgy), Börgölin/Újbalázsfalva (now Apátistvánfalva), Orfalu, Rábatótfalu (now Szentgotthárd), Szakonyfalu, and sometimes Markovci, now in Slovenia.
In 1183 Béla III of Hungary founded a Cistercian abbey in Szentgotthárd.
For many years, the Hungarian Slovenes had attended church in Rábakethely (near Szentgotthárd), Felsőszölnök, or Great Dolenci (Slovenia).
Bishop Szily supported masses being offered in the local language (Croatian, the Prekmurje Slovene, or German), and therefore he appointed Marits.
The church's walls are 2 metres (6.6 ft) thick, and it can hold 2,000 people.
Near the church are a school, cemetery, parish office, war memorial, and the statue of the Virgin Mary.
János Marits was of Slovenian descent (Slovene: Janoš Maritš) and was born in Sveti Jurij, Rogašovci (Slovenia) in around 1757 or 1767.
József Teklics was of Croatian descent and was born in Szentpéterfa on April 26, 1770.
György Küzmics was of Slovenian descent (Slovene: Jurij Küzmič) and was born in Dolnji Slaveči on December 14, 1752.
He was then a chaplain in Rábakethely (1779–1781), a priest in Gornji Petrovci (1781–1785), and finally in Dolenci (1785–1795).
The Ivanóczy name alluded to the family provenance Ivanóc (Ivanovci).
He was a chaplain in Murska Sobota (1842–1844), Črenšovci (1844–1845), Križevci (1845–1847), Bogojina (1847), Sveti Jurij, Rogašovci (1848–1852), Beltinci (1848–1852).
István Scsavnicsár was born in Rakičan, near Murska Sobota on August 10, 1828.
He was a chaplain in Grad, Slovenia (1855–1856), a clerk in Gornji Petrovci (1856–1869), and priest in Apátistvánfalva by 1869.
Károly Fodor was born in Krajišnik, in Vojvodina, and was of Hungarian-Serbian descent.
He pursued his studies for the priesthood at the Theology College of the Bishoprics of Győr.
He was a chaplain in Apátistvánfalva (1790–1791), Szentgyörgyvölgy (1791–1792), Páka (1792–1793), a clerk in Egyházashetye (1793, --1797), a priest in Rábakovácsi (1797–1825).
Péter Bognár was born in Slovakia, in Michal na Ostrove on June 22, 1768.
His father was Ferenc Bognár, and his mother Katalin Katona were both petty noblemen.
He was a chaplain in Apátistvánfalva (1791–1793), Vámoscsalád (1793–1799), priest in Egyházashetye by 1799 November, until 1804 September.
His parents were petty noblemen, János Ballia and Katalin Dallos.
He was a chaplain in Lendava (1794), Apátistvánfalva (1795–1796), Sárvár (1796), Szepetnek (1796–1797), Oberwart (1797–1798), Vámoscsalád (1798–1800), Szentpéterfa (1800–1802), clerk in Nagykölked (1802–1803), a priest in Kukmér (1803–1806), chaplain in Rechnitz (1806–1813), pastor in Weiden bei Rechnitz (1813–1816).
János László was a Hungarian priest, born in Megyehíd (near Sárvár) on December 13, 1769.
His parents were Pál László (civil servant) and Erzsébet Kiss.
He was a chaplain in Acsád for 2 and one-half months, Kám (1794–1796), Zalaegerszeg (1796–1798), Hosszúpereszteg (1798–1799), Apátistvánfalva (1799–1800), Páka (1801–1806).
He was a chaplain in Apátistvánfalva, Beltinci, Murska Sobota (1802–1804), a priest in Kančovci after Miklós Küzmics (1804–1805) and died in his place of birth (Pertoča) on February 7, 1806.
Ferenc Koszednár was of Slovenian descent (Slovene: Fran Kosednar).
