inquiry also ended with the conclusion that the miracle was real, and that there was no sign of any manipulation. In a letter of 19 September 1715, the Bishop of Eger recognized the miracle as fact and declared the settlement to be a saint shrine, which now became known as Máriapócs. Although the construction of a new church became ever more urgent after the second weeping and the designation as a saint shrine, the competition for the position of Bishop of Munkács between József Hodermárszky and György Bizánczy Gennadius delayed the plans. Simultaneously, the peculiar situation of the Eparchy of Munkács in canon law, according to which the Byzantine Catholic Bishop of Munkács is the vicar in ritual matters to the Bishop of Eger made the execution of the plans even more difficult. Being subordinate to the Bishop of Eger also meant that the Bishop of Munkács could only build a new church in the diocese with the permission of the Bishop of Eger. The Bishop of Eger, however, in this matter kept the interests of the nearby Minorite church at Nyírbátor, which was only a few kilometers away, firmly in sight. The question of building a church in Pócs only returned to the forefront after the death of Hodermárszky in 1729. During the last days of 1730, György Gennadius Bizánczy initiated negotiations with Nikodémus Licky, a master builder of Kassa, on the building of a new church at Pócs. The Szepes Chamber and a representative of the Aspermont family, which had local feudal jurisdiction, joined the negotiations. They agreed that the church, which was to be constructed, had to be built in light of the needs of the Byzantine rite. Bishop Bizánczy sent the plans, which had been drawn up by Liczky, to the Bishop of Eger Gábor Antal Erdődy. With his approval the construction began in the spring of 1731. The first phase took two years. In 1733, bishop Bizánczy died, and during the years that his successor, Simon Olsavszky, Bishop of Munkács (1733-1737), was in office no progress was achieved. The work was continued during the time of bishop György Gábor Blazsovszky (1738-1742), who signed a new contract with Liczky. Only the side walls were, however, completed in the lifetime of the bishop. The church was finally finished by bishop Mihály Mánuel Olsavszky (1743-1767), who reinvigorated the work starting in 1744. Not only was the church completed