The Diocese of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza
The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) intended a more suitable division of ecclesiastical administrative areas, in accordance with which the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference gradually set about establishing a new arrangement of ecclesiastical provinces and dioceses.
As part of this reorganisation, on 31 May 1993, Pope John Paul II erected the Diocese of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza with his Apostolic Constitution beginning with Hungarorum Gens.
The cathedral of the newly erected diocese is the church consecrated in honour of Saint Anne, built in Debrecen, while its co-cathedral became the church consecrated in honour of Our Lady of Hungary in Nyíregyháza.
The new diocese was placed under the patronage of our King Saint Ladislaus, thus he became the patron saint of the new diocese. Its first bishop, Nándor Bosák, received his papal appointment on 31 May 1993, and was then consecrated bishop in Debrecen on 15 June. Following his retirement in 2015, Ferenc Palánki became the new bishop of the diocese, following his installation on 15 November.
The Szabolcs and Bihar Archdeaneries operate within the territory of the diocese. Deaneries are located within the territory of the archdeaneries. In the Szabolcs region, the deaneries of Kisvárda, Polgár, Nyíregyháza, Nagykálló and Szatmár operate, while in the Bihar region, the deaneries of Debrecen and Berettyóújfalu operate. 93 priests serve in the diocese's 57 parishes. Religious priests and religious sisters also participate in the life of the diocese, undertaking ministry not only in parish administration but also in the care of the sick and youth formation. Our diocese also operates Catholic schools, student dormitories, and residential colleges. Within the territory of the Szabolcs Archdeanery, in Kisvárda, is located the Saint Ladislaus Catholic Vocational Secondary School, Residential College and Nursery School; in Mátészalka, the István Széchenyi Catholic and German Minority Primary School; in Nyírbátor, the István Báthory Catholic Primary School, Grammar School and Vocational Secondary School; and in Nyíregyháza, the Saint Emeric Catholic Grammar School, Primary School, Residential College, Nursery School and Basic Art School, founded in 1992. In Nyíregyháza, in 2001, 33,500 of the city's 119,000 inhabitants declared themselves Roman Catholic.