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Commemorative Pages
Dedication
Foreword
Genesis
Inhabitants
Church
Parish
Patronat
School
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World War
Closing Words
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The so-called “Schematismus”[89] drawn up by the episcopal authorities remarked in the case of the community Panatulnou that there already was a parish here in the year 1333.  Also, the papal tithe registers from the 14^th century allegedly are supposed to prove that the pastor of Neu Panath paid a few Groschen[90] tax to the Holy See. Of course, this could not happen without a priest really residing here, that is a parish existed. The history writer Alexander Màrki himself observed in his work regarding the County of Arad that the community Panàt is said to have existed already in the year 1315.

Solely under Turkish dominion which, as is well-known, lasted 164 years in the Banat region and only ended after the capture of Temesvar on the 1^st of November 1716, under this one and a half centuries’ Ottoman rule, so many things were lost. Entire areas were almost completely depopulated, many, many cities and villagers were devastated so that nothing else remained but a totally ravaged, ruined and impoverished province.

Like that then this community, this parish might also have been lost.  Shortly after the capture of Temesvar, General Field Marshal Klaudius Florimund Count von Mercy was entrusted with the supreme command of the Banat which was brought under imperial rule. After Count Mercy had completely liberated this region, which the Ottomans had possessed since 1552, and protected it against possible new Ottoman invasions, he immediately began the reorganization of the reclaimed province. The main problem was the scattered colonization experiments especially promised success, above all the systematic colonization, reclamation and economic development of the almost completely depopulated and impoverished Banat province.

At the express desire of Mercy and of the imperial government, only “Germans of the Catholic faith from the Roman Empire of the German Nation”[91] were supposed to be settled on the chamber properties of the Banat. So then the first German Catholic colonists came to the Banat in the year 1722 from the west of the empire.  Most were put in the southern Banat; at first barely eight German places had come into being in the northern Banat, among them Neu Arad, Lippa,[92] etc.

The first systematic colonization of the Banat, begun my Mercy and ended in the year 1730, was continued for a second and third time. The recruiting region was mainly Lorraine, the Palatinate, Baden and Hesse. However, the Rhine districts, Swabia and Franconia also took part in the population movement.

On orders of Emperor Josef II, 150 new dwelling houses were also built here by the high exchequer for agricultural colonists in the year 1786/87. All the houses were built in the same type and shape, partly of sun-dried bricks partly of fired bricks with the main entrances toward the north. At the same time, a large communal oven was also established here in which everyone could and was permitted to bake bread. The cellar in the interim rectory at that time was later vaulted from the bricks of this oven—so they are called in the history. Where that was nobody know today. When thus all the dwellings stood finished, one handed them over to the German Catholic colonists planned at that time, who came here from Austria, Germany and from parts of Lorraine. Consequently, the Neopanath parish was founded and the pastoral duties also began immediately. Although at first this parish was regarded as a branch of the Glogowatzer[93] parish for 10 years, it nevertheless got a spiritual advisor who kept independent register books and was in charge of it from the 17^th of October 1787 on. The Franciscan monk Fr. Fortunatus Friedrich was appointed as the first spiritual advisor who functioned under the title “capellanus loci” (local chaplain) and was subordinate to the Glogowatzer pastor at that time, Friedrich Stocker, honorary canon, until the year 1792. Fr. Martin Lyubicics from the Order of the Minorites followed him likewise as local chaplain, who looked after the parish until the year 1798.

After his departure, the parish was taken over by Fr. Ernst Rausch, Minorite father, who was installed as the first independent administrator and worked as such here until his death which occurred on the 10^th of May 1804. It is reported about him that he understood farming very well and that under his leadership the cellar and larder in that interim parish building of which mention was already made.

He found his successor in Reverend Andreas Blovßky who was transferred here from Moritzfeld[94] as the administrator of the parish. He is supposed to have played the harp very beautifully.

After 6 years, he was replaced by Karl Pàlma, former cathedral preacher, who therefore only conducted the pastoral duties 3 years as installed pastor until 1810. Then he was transferred by His Excellency Diocesan Bishop Ladislaus Kößeghy to a better station at Bruckenau[95] because one was not inclined to give him the salary fixed by Count Pejacsevics in the year 1808. After him, the same senior pastor was not inclined to appoint a permanent pastor in the future in order on the one hand in such a way to force the manor to hand over the fixed salary on the other hand to hasten the construction of a house of God. After all, the granary in which the service was held was close to collapse! Consequently, this parish had no independent pastor in the beginning of the year 1814 but was pastored partly by the Glogowatzer pastor partly by Minorite fathers until autumn of the same year, which is obvious in the register books of that time.

Because no permanent pastor was given to the community for the reasons mentioned, the manor looked for a pastor for itself in the person of a retired military chaplain whom the senior pastor admitted to the service of the diocese—to avoid all the unpleasantness—and entrusted with the administration of the parish here. For that reason then, the former military chaplain at Rome and former pastor of Semlin,[96] Right Reverend Georg Quesar von Personova, knight of the golden military cross, worked here as the installed pastor from 1814-1825. He died of dropsy on the 29^th of January 1825 in his 72^nd year of life and was buried in the cemetery here. Under him, the church was brought under roof though not totally completed. Because of that, he bequeathed by will his entire fortune, which he acquired mostly in the Turkish war, to his parish church so that the same would be able to be completed and handed over to its sacred function. That he never drank wine or alcoholic beverages and only lived on milk and sweets is briefly emphasized from his life. He owned extremely beautiful silver plate and other objects from the Turkish war and a fine collection of various old coins.

His successor, Right Reverend Joachim Valentin Fliegßeder immediately took up the pastorate and worked here from January 1825 up to his death which had occurred on the 5^th of July 1843. He came from Styria:[97] He was born in the year 1792 in Neuberg[98] which village is situated in the Märzthal close to Groß Mariazell. With his parents who had immigrated in the year 1799, he came to Dombo[99] in the Marmorosch County.[100] He began his studies in Szathmàr,[101] continued them in Temesvar and was ordained a priest by His Excellency Kößeghy in the year 1821. As a 4-year priest, he came to this community as administrator, where he was installed as pastor soon after that. Under him, the church was completed and solemnly consecrated on the first Advent Sunday in the year 1825.

His successor was Right Reverend Josef Wendeschu who functioned as pastor from the 24^th of July 1843 to 1859.

He was replaced by Right Reverend Johann von Mußkalay who worked here beneficially from 1859 to the end of 1899, therefore 40 years, and also celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest here. In the year 1892, he received the title of a papal privy chamberlain from Pope Leo XIII in recognition of his great, many-sided contributions. At the end of the year 1899, he retired and spent his remaining years until his death in Lipova-Lippa.

After him, the community was pastored by the chaplain here at that time, Augustin Witàlski who worked her until the 1^st of April 1900.

On this day, Dr. Josef Babinßky was installed as pastor and worked as such up to the 20^th of July 1902 when he was transferred to Ernöhàza[102] at his own request.

He received a successor in the person of Right Reverend Matthias Michon who was in charge of the pastoral duties here until the 1^st of November 1904.

Local Pastor Alexander Kummergruber

 After his transfer to Simand,[103] Right Reverend Alexander Kummergruber took over the pastoral duties and works here to the present day.  He was ordained a priest by His Excellency Alexander von Dessewffy on the 1^st of February in the year 1898. His first position was in Pancota[104] where he worked almost 1 year as a chaplain. From there, he went to Zàdorlak[105] then to Guttenbrunn.[106] In the year 1901, he was transferred to Timişoara-Josefstadt where he worked until the 1^st of November 1904 as chaplain. On the 1^st of November 1904, he took up his new post as minister in Panatulnou and was installed as pastor by the senior pastor at that time in the year 1908.

The name of the current pastor is inseparably linked with the history of this parish, whose priestly concern also turns toward church singing and fellowship matters in addition to the religious pastoral duties. He works with true priestly zeal in the community for almost 33 years. During his activity of many years, many improvements and new acquisitions were carried out. Thus, the house of God received new bells in the year 1923; in the year 1925, the church was considerably beautified. Renovations at the rectory were repeatedly carried out. All this was only possible because the pastor, after many battles, after a lot of pleading and begging, succeeded in setting up the so-called Patronat fund, like which there is no second in the whole diocese. Although the 47 land register yokes secured for this purpose dwindled to 19 yokes by virtue of the law, they nevertheless constitute a considerable asset which is enough for the maintenance of the church and of the rectory without the parish having to be preoccupied in the least for this purpose.

During the pastorate of the current pastor, 3 missions already took place, namely: 1. from the 28^th of January to the 6^th of February 1906; 2. from the 28^th of December 1924 to the 6^th of January 1925; and 3. from the 11^th to the 18^th of January 1931. Shored up by the fine results, the pastor held a mission himself in the year 1933 from the 19^th to the 23^rd of March, which was crowned with almost unbelievable results.

In the first days of the parish, there was no rectory. As already observed the pastor lived—even as the church was situated as yet—in several private houses, among others, in the farmhouse number 113 as well.

The present rectory was built in the year 1846 by Count Franz Gyulai as the Patronat master.  The building was erected mostly from fired bricks and the roof tiled. After construction, it had 3 rooms, a kitchen and a larder. In the year 1886, a further room was added by Pastor Johann Mußkàlay, which through the years was used as a chaplain room but at present serves for office purposes. Renovations were quite frequently carried out on the building. Last, the office and 1 room are provided with tiled stoves.[107]

The parish building is recorded as property of the parish on the land register page number 73 and according to the land register has an area of 591 square fathoms.[108] Of this, 307 square fathoms[109] are house and yard area; the rest constitutes the garden. Towards the street—inside the park—stands a wooden fence and a small yard door constitutes the entrance to the parish yard while a big gate leads into the household yard from the side street.

The salary of the pastor was not always the same. Ever since the parish came into existence, the pastor is endowed with one session which was cut out of the chamber land in 4 fields in the year 1792 by engineer Josef Hardin in the presence of the pastor at that time Ernst Rausch as well as of the local authorities: Heinrich Sand, judge; Benjamin Rosner, notary; Georg Wenzel, treasurer; Peter Gruber and Josef Mittermüller, jurymen. On the land register page number 73, it is entered under the title “Roman Catholic Parish” and according to the land register has 28 land register yokes and 1488 square fathoms.[110]

A salary equal to the chamber land parishes was accepted in the year 1808 on the part of the Patronat manor by the lord of the manor at that time Count Pejacsevics, which however was refused by Count Ignatius Gyulai who bought back the entire property in the year 1813. Because the lord of the manor turned down the demands of the pastor referring to this and only guaranteed to him 160 Guilders Vienna currency in cash which was equal to 64 Guilders coin in value, His Excellency Ladislaus Kößeghy, diocesan bishop, transferred the pastor at that time because of the refused salary at the end of 1813 and was not once inclined to give the community a permanent pastor until the pay of the pastor will not be controlled. For all of that, the old retired military chaplain stood financially—as this was already mentioned—and took over the administration of the parish because the community guaranteed to him 32 Guilders in cash, 300 rations of hay and 2 buckets of wine from which the pastor was obliged to let the church have the necessaries for the service. Pastor Georg Quesar von Persanova, of course, could even live on this small salary because he had a sizable personal fortune at his disposal.  However, his successor Joachim Valentin Fliegßeder felt only too well that this—accepted by his predecessor—endowment was not adequate; because of that, he also became melancholy and died a premature, unexpected death. Then when the second successor, Right Reverend Josef Wendeschu, complained that this salary was not adequate in order to live in accordance with the station, the community took pity and guaranteed an appropriate salary to the pastor for the future in a contract on the 7^th of August 1843. This contract was approved by the diocesan bishop at that time, His Excellency Josef Lonovics, on the 3^rd of March of the year 1844; it is still in force today as well. In the year 1906 and later in the year 1926, the livelihood taxes stipulated in the first point were indeed converted to a redemption fee by the pastor and parish; however, the remaining points of the contract remain untouched as the honorable episcopal authorities emphasized this on the 17^th of April 1906.

The oldest seal of the pastor’s office comes from the year 1794 and can be seen pressed in sealing wax on that document according to which the local authorities were praised on the part of the community. This seal shows two hands placed crosswise, a cross rises from their middle, “I” can be seen on its left side and “L” on its right side. In the year 1832, this seal was altered and shows the figure of a priest (plausibly St. Ignatius Loyola) and “Sig(illum) Parochiae Neo Panat”[111] can be read on the border. The present office seal simply bears the inscription “Romania, 1787. Panatulnou (Ujpanad) Jud(eţ) Arad.  Parochia Rom(an) Cath(olic).”[112]

Register books were properly kept since 1787.

The first baptism is from the year 1787 on the 17^th of October: Marianna, daughter of Johann Fesser and wife Margaretha; baptized by Fr. Fortunatus Friederich, local curate; Karl Clemens and wife Margaretha, godparents.

The first marriage is from the year 1787 on the 23^rd of October: Jakob Hoff, widower from the empire, and Catharina Wild, widow from Szegedin. Married by Fr. Fortunatus Friederich, local curate, in the presence of the witnesses Johann Kayser and Paul Rupert.

The first funeral is from the year 1787 on the 18^th of October: by Fr. Fortunatus Friederich.  Name of the deceased: Johann Heini, 20 years old, resides here.

So far, the register books of those baptized, of those buried and of those married are 7 volumes each. The register book of those confirmed numbers 2 volumes.

Canonica Visitatio can be found in one volume and is written in beautiful, legible script in Latin.  “Visitatio Canonica” is that called Pro Protocol,[113] which was taken down during the official examination of the parish (canonical visit) by His Excellency Diocesan Bishop Dr. Josef Lonovics on the 13^th of May of the year 1835 in the presence of Canon Ignatius Fàbry (Canonicus a latere),[114] of Grand Provider Johann Janko, of County Judge Karl Bosnyàky, of Jurist Elexander Kornely and of the local judge and jurymen.

“Historia Domus,” i.e. history of the parish, was written in the year 1835 in the month of April by Pastor Joachim Valentin Fliegßeder in Latin, i.e. was begun and continued since that time. Up to the year 1835, no documents were available from which one would have been able to learn something reliable regarding the founding. Because of that, he questioned people mentioned—as he admits himself—the oldest of the community and drew the material for the description of the founding of this parish from their statements.

Foundation documents and all the remaining documents are deposited in the archives of the parish office.

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