February 2012 www.HungarianCatholicMission.com

PASTOR'S MESSAGE

As we witness economic upheavals, political turmoil, as well as religious strife around the globe, I greet you with the Peace of Christ. Before He left this Earth and returned to His Father, Our Lord Jesus addressed his Disciples and followers with these words: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.” With these words, Christ Jesus promised that He would return again to establish that Peace, as He sent forth His disciples to proclaim the Good News to the world.

We all are called upon to fulfill His mission—to proclaim the Good News, and to live the Gospel in our daily lives. This discipleship that Christ calls us to serves as the sole purpose of the Hungarian Catholic Mission community, as our Mission Statement explains. I feel that we are faithfully fulfilling this aspect of our commitment. I am delighted to report that wonderful young couples and their children are steadily joining us and enriching our community. We are especially happy to welcome these young families, where many of the spouses are English-speaking, to a place where they feel very much at home in our “bilingual” community.

Our secondary purpose is to foster our Hungarian heritage and support Hungarian cultural events. Since our last newsletter, I can report with great joy and satisfaction, that we have hosted a number of Hungarian cultural events, such as our St. Steven celebration and picnic, as well as the Agoston Haraszty inter-cultural celebration in Sonoma. These two events were a tremendous success. You can read about both of these events in greater detail in our Fall Bulletin.

We are also faithful to the third purpose of our Mission, which is to support the less fortunate in need of our help. Recently, we have extended substantial financial help to the D�va Foundation to support their orphanage in Tasnadfurdo, as well as a local family in need. I wish to express to you my heartfelt thanks to all who supported our charitable efforts. The good Lord may reward you many fold for your goodness.

I encourage us all to continue to live the Gospel in our daily lives by doing good works, promoting peace and harmony in our own heart, our family, our community, our nation, and in our turbulent World.

May God bless our community and the work of our hands,

Father Maurus Nemeth OSB

(Pastor of the H.C.M.)


PASTOR'S CHALLENGES

Our Hungarian Catholic Mission is composed of a well-organized Hungarian Catholic community, located on the school grounds of Woodside Priory in Portola Valley, California. Over the last 20 years, we have experienced significant changes in the community. However, technological advances and years of dedicated experience have enabled our community to grow steadily.

Although the bulk of our community members are part of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution generation, I have been pleasantly surprised to find how vibrant a community we actually are (thanks to our increasing membership from our younger generation.) While we have made remarkable achievements in the past few years, there are still challenges to overcome if we want the Hungarian Catholic Mission to progress and ensure its sustainability in the future.

In order to assure the successful continuation and the healthy future of the Hungarian Catholic Mission, we have to keep our foremost attention on the spiritual wellbeing of our parishioners.

  • It is of paramount importance that we never get tired of emphasizing the chief reason for our existence, which is to practice our Catholic Faith in our Hungarian language. Therefore, our primary task is to encourage each other to practice our Faith regularly and deepen our love of God and each other.
  • Remember that without a healthy membership, there can be no Community. Therefore, in order to maintain our Community and continue the good work we are doing, we must ensure that our membership will not dwindle as our older members are called home by God. We must keep our membership strong by attracting the younger generation—one which strives for wholesome worship and who wish to live out their Hungarian Culture and Heritage.
  • I feel blessed, at the present time, to have a number of wonderful young families joining us (several of them where one spouse is English speaking, oh what a joy!) We all must invite, encourage and welcome ALL in our Community with an open arms and heart and grow in Faith and number.

At the moment, the Priory has four Monks. Fr. Pius is the oldest at 82, and our youngest monk is 70 years old. Reality is quickly setting in that without replacements of our lay staff and religious, our beloved Priory and Benedictine School could be without a priest during the next 5-10 years. What then? How can we maintain the Priory’s character and ensure the continuation of the Hungarian Catholic Mission? These are the questions which we are faced with. We must take note of the fact then that the spiritual future of the Woodside Priory School and Hungarian Catholic Mission, while functioning independently, are intrinsically interconnected. How can we ensure the future of the Hungarian Catholic Mission?


OUR PASTOR'S VISION

Our Hungarian Catholic Mission is composed of a well-organized Hungarian Catholic community, located on the school grounds of Woodside Priory in Portola Valley, California. Over the last 20 years, we have experienced significant changes in the community. However, technological advances and years of dedicated experience have enabled our community to grow steadily.

Although the bulk of our community members are part of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution generation, I have been pleasantly surprised to find how vibrant a community we actually are (thanks to our increasing membership from our younger generation.) While we have made remarkable achievements in the past few years, there are still challenges to overcome if we want the Hungarian Catholic Mission to progress and ensure its sustainability in the future.

Our Benedictine Order has contracts in place to protect the sustainability of the Hungarian Catholic Mission in Portola Valley, California as long as:

  • The Mission will be able to supply a spiritual director/ Hungarian Priest to take care of the Hungarian Catholic and Cultural Community of San Francisco Bay Area.
  • The spiritual director/priest will continue to fulfill the aspirations of the Mission in its entirety.
  • The Mission runs under the auspices of the San Francisco Archdiocese.

The main condition for the continuous existence and the future of the Mission is the assurance of the presence of a spiritual director, or more specifically, a Hungarian Priest.

My plan and hope is to be able to work out an agreement between the Hungarian Ecclesiastical Authorities (Benedictine or Diocesan) to guarantee the presence of a young Hungarian priest in the Hungarian Catholic Mission on a rotating basis. I have been successful thus far in obtaining short term Hungarian priests to fill in for the mission and will continue to develop processes that will increase the rotations of Hungarian priests. You can find out additional information on our plan by reviewing the Business Plan for the Hungarian Ministry Abroad.

The chosen priest’s replacement would be assured by the Hungarian Catholic Mission’s Ministry Abroad Foundation and by the Woodside Priory School. From what I envision, the priest will serve as both the Pastor of the Hungarian Catholic Mission and the much needed Chaplin of the Woodside Priory Catholic School. Hence, the support would be given to and from both communities.

  • The chosen priest would head the Hungarian Catholic Mission. As such, his primary duty (as stated in Mission Statement #1) would be:
    • the celebration of all the Liturgical functions
    • caring for the spiritual needs of the people of the Mission
  • The chosen priest would take a leadership position in the Mission Council (as stated in Mission Statement #2) and would also:
    • foster all Hungarian Cultural and Social events within the Community
    • merge the cultural and social spheres of the Bay Area Hungarian Community, pending the need and desire to do so (under his discretion)
  • The chosen priest would be expected to continue the Mission’s established charitable activities, stated in our Five Charitable Foundations. (Mission Statement #3)

May God bless our good intentions in preserving our Catholic faith and Hungarian heritage for generations to come.

God Bless You,

Fr. Maurus Nemeth OSB

Pastor of the H.C.M.


FAITH

Our Baptisms

We welcomed Peter Mark Galambos, son of Ludwig and Marta Galambos, into God’s Family and our Community on November 18, 2012.

On November 25, 2012, we celebrated our Traditional Thanksgiving Mass. During the Mass, we welcomed Eva Victoria Thompson, daughter of Attila and Roseanne Thompson, into our Community.

Our Deceased

Eva Varga, strengthened by the Anointing of the Sick and the Lord Jesus, died on July 28, 2012. She was 91 years old. We remembered her in our Sunday Mass on November 18 and buried her in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Menlo Park on November 19.

Imre Varga, a faithful member of our Community, died peacefully on November 18, 2012. We paid our respects to him in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery’s Chapel and buried him on December 1, 2012. On December 2, we remembered him in our Hungarian Mission Community Mass.

Light a Candle: Prayers for the Sick

Please pray for all of those who are sick, the injured, the elderly, and the homebound—especially those who are alone for the holidays. May the Lord comfort and strengthen these and all the members of our parish community. There are so many prayers that we hold in the silence of the hearts—and there is a beautiful way to express these prayers to the Lord through our Light a Candle section on our Hungarian Catholic Mission website. It is a wonderful way to express both our personal needs and our community needs. Through the link, you will find an electronic candle that you may light, and you can make a prayer with public or private at your discretion. You also have the opportunity to read some of the other prayers of members of the community, and these prayers are always remembered at Mass during intentions.

Please take the opportunity to look at our website and offer prayers for those in need. Thank you for your prayers.

Click here to Light a Candle

Hungarian Saints of the Quarter

In our newsletter, we will now honor two Hungarian saints each quarter, a man and a woman. These Hungarian saints demonstrate exemplary virtues and wonderful service to the Lord and His people, and their feast days fall within the time of that quarter. Read about the lives of these saints, and the inspirational lives that they led with the help of God’s grace.


Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

Lived: 1207-1231
Canonized: 1235
Feast Day: November 19

Biography: The daughter of Andrew II, Elizabeth was raised in the castle of Wartburg. She married a name by the name of Ludwig, who endured her fasting and self-repressing lifestyle. Ludwig died in the fifth crusade, and Elizabeth entered the Third Order of Saint Francis of Assisi at the age of 20. She later founded an asylum, where she nursed sick and poor people until her death. There have been several miracles attributed to her, one miracle involving bread miraculously transforming into roses, to avoid the scrutiny of her family for helping the poor.


Saint Imre

Lived: 1007-1031
Canonized: 1083
Feast Day: November 5

Biography: The son of King St. Stephen I of Hungary, and Giselle of Bavaria. Imre was educated in a strict and ascetic spirit by the bishop of Csan�d, St. Gerhard (St. Gell�rt) from the age of 15 to 23. He was intended to be the next monarch of Hungary and married in 1022, however, he died at age 24 from a boar while hunting. After his death, several miraculous healings and conversions happened at his grave, and he was canonized for his pious life and purity.


THOUGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

With another year coming to a close, one may consider the many expected and unexpected joys—and disappointments— with greater reassurance in the will of the Lord. We thank the Lord for the many blessings He has bestowed on us in His love and mercy. May the New Year renew our spirit and provide us with stronger faith in the Lord as we look with hope to the future. While our minds might be anxiously occupied by our personal and family life, let us keep in mind other issues as well—a world desperate for peace, our old and new country struggling in a political and economic crisis, and our Church facing unbelief and indifference. Society today seemingly lacks faith, and the dignities of the human person have been compromised around the world. Despite these trials and tribulations, we may find solace and support in returning to the Source of all truth.

As a spiritual preparation for Christmas, Advent is an appropriate time to contemplate and re-energize our prayer life with the Lord. At times, our fast-paced day to day lives leave little time for prayer, yet it is only through prayer that we gain a sense of internal peace that this world cannot give us. Let us pray for all the members of Christ’s Church and for its spiritual leaders, as we face continued obstacles and hardships around the world. Remember that we are one body in Christ, and it is our faith community alone which gives us strength, commitment, and hope. With this in mind, let us wish each other a spiritually rich and peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year.


CULTURE

"DISZN�TOROS" DINNER

The Hungarian Catholic Mission's annual Diszn�toros Dinner was a great success! The dinner was held on November 3, 2012 to honor the cultural contributions of the talented Hungarian actress and singer, Elizabeth T�rczy Kov�cs. Along with Ms. T�rczy Kov�cs, there were many distinguished guests in attendance, including the Consul of the Hungarian Republic to Los Angeles, Dr. Oliver Pinter. The dinner was a sold-out event comprised of an exceptional home-made sausage meal, lively entertainment, and the popular raffle event. The proceeds from this evening will support Hungarian cultural events in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you did not have the chance to make it to this year's Diszn�toros Dinner, you missed out on a great opportunity and we hope to see you next year!

200th Haraszthy Celebration in Sonoma

On September 1st, 2012, several hundred people came together for the 200th Birthday Anniversary Celebration of the Count of Buena Vista. This celebration was held in the Grinstead Amphitheatre at the Sonoma Town Plaza in California. This Hungarian cultural event was sponsored by the Hungarian Catholic Mission. Among the many ceremonial presentations were the opening and closing flag ceremonies, presented by the First Californian Hungarian Cavalry Group, speeches by Mr. George Webber, as today’s Count of Buena Vista, and by both Hungarian and American politicians, as well as the “Sonoma and Tokaj Sister Cities” Official Agreement Signing Ceremony.

The celebration also featured Hungarian performances and exhibits sponsored by famous Hungarian artists. Musical performances on the piano, violin and accordion were provided by such musicians as Judith Neszlenyi, Aniko Nelson, Tibor and Elena Horvath, Balint Sapszon, and Lili Gaspar. There were also beautiful Operatic performances by Diana Pray, and Hungarian Folklore Performances by Livia and Tamas Schachinger. The traditional Hungarian Exhibits were organized by Gabriella Gaspar Heil and Agota Hodi. Two plays were also featured: “The Count of Buena Vista” by George Webber, and “The Hungarian Wedding in Sonoma” production by the “San Francisco Area Hungarian Csardas Group” of the Hungarian Catholic Mission.

At the end of the celebration, the original homemade “Hungarian Gulyas Soup” and “retes,” a Hungarian pastry, were served for the guests. There was so much pride in being Hungarian on that unforgettable day!

If you are interested, a DVD of this event is also available. To receive a DVD of this event, please contact Sandor Sonkoly Tel.: (559) 325 – 2900. Please send an email to: [email protected] to get immediate information and the link to order the Sonoma DVD-s.

--Ildiko Zentai, President of the Hungarian Catholic Mission


CHARITY

A Brighter Future for Tomorrow: My Trip to the Deva Foundation

This fall, I had a wonderful opportunity to travel to the Transylvanian region of Romania to visit numerous children’s homes. Established by the St. Francis Foundation of Deva, these homes provide a safe, clean, and stable place for orphan children, who have been neglected, and/or from extremely impoverished living conditions. Some of the homes provide complete living accommodations, while other homes are day homes where the children complete their homework assignments, receive tutoring, and are fed meals. The homes promote an idea of living in a healthy environment, and focus on the child’s development as a whole—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

The founder of the St. Francis Foundation of Deva, Brother Csaba Bojte, began this amazing organization by providing a place to sleep for some street children in Deva. What began as a few children eventually turned into hundreds, and the home in Deva is currently the largest home within the organization, housing over 200 children. As I discovered in my trip, however, each home is different—some of the homes house over 100 children, while others house up to 20 children.

My trip began in Tusnadfurdo (Baile Tusnad), a rural town located in the Carpathian Mountains. I visited the home I had volunteered at two years ago, and had the opportunity to see old friends and witness how much the children had grown. It was very encouraging to learn that most of the older children had decided to stay in school or go to trade school. Although is uncommon in most of the impoverished areas for children to complete high school, the St. Francis Foundation stresses the importance of education. The organization is currently in the process of building a separate trade school in Csikszentmarton for older children to learn specialized skills and continue their education by mastering a trade. Through this irrefutably advantageous opportunity, many children will be able to provide for themselves, and later for their families. This vision attempts to break the cycle of poverty in these childrens’ lives.

With the support of Brother Csaba Bojte and Tibor Kolozsvari, the director of the Tusnadfurdo home, we worked our way across Romania and visited nine homes. These homes were located in Tusnadfurdo, Kaszon, Csiksomlyo, Marefalva, Paradj, Deva, and two homes in Nagyszalonta, and the construction of the trade school in Csikszentmarton. What a great way to witness how God works and how He brings people together to do good!

This trip was provided through the incredibly generous and significant contributions of Arpad Szoboszlay and through the Hungarian Catholic Mission. A special thank you to Brother Csaba Bojte and Tibor Kolozsvari of the St. Francis Foundation of Deva, who showed us true hospitality in our travels, while inspiring our faith and service to the Lord.

–Linda Szabados

To see a full report of the trip and a detailed description of each home, please visit our Mission Website: www.hungariancatholicmission.com and view the news bulletin.

DONATIONS OF
THE HUNGARIAN CATHOLIC MISSION
(2004 – 2011)

Hungarian Catholic Mission has supported multiple Hungarian causes over the years. With the recent streamlining of our six foundations, we have been able to rise on average $37,099 per year. The good news is that in 2002, we project to double our donations compared to 2011. We could not do this without your help. Thank you for your continued help in donating to the Hungarian Catholic Mission.

AVERAGE ANNUAL DONATIONS: $37,099

We Need Volunteers

If you are interested in volunteering for the Hungarian Catholic Mission, please reach out to Father Maurus. Volunteering does not always have to mean donating money. Our foundations have been approved this year by our Hungarian Catholic Mission Counsel. Here are the positions we are looking to fill:

  • Volunteer Coordinators (All foundations)
  • Fund Raising Coordinators (All foundations)
  • Foundation Directors (All foundations except Deva)

We are also developing a volunteer program where you have the ability to volunteer based on your needs. You can volunteer for 5 hours, 10 hours, 20 hours, 50 hours and 100 hours blocks for the year. In addition, we are trying to develop a summer intern program this year (6 weeks) at the Deva Orphanage in Transylvania. Let me know if you are interested. We have started fund raising for the internship program and my hope is to cover most, if not all of the costs. Two slots are available.


CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS

Thanks to the immense efforts of the faith community, the Sunday after Mass gathering has now become a well-loved tradition. Emerging from rather humble beginnings, the once small, generous, community of people has transformed into a vibrant and robust gathering. This gathering is reminiscent of the spirit of the early Christians, who recognized that community was an important complement to the root of our faith—the Holy Mass. Therefore, take part in this gathering as often as possible by contributing to our Sunday lunch table or cash donation. Our organizers are more than happy to inform you on how you can help.

The Benedictine community, in the spirit of Christianity, is also pleased to allow the use of the Priory area, buildings, and kitchen staff to the Mission. It is clear that the generosity of Benedictine hospitality has helped the Mission significantly by lifting some of the burdens of management and maintenance off of our shoulders. Think of other Christian communities having financial difficulties, and how blessed we are in our circumstances.

We would also like to express our gratitude and thanks to all of the Priory kitchen staff, and their kind, attentive hospitality. The staff is the very soul of Christian hospitality—their efforts and dedication has been of great help to the Mission and community. Our gratitude toward them is immeasurable. From the income of our events, we focus mainly on charity to those in need who have no religious affiliations. Thus, we ask our members to consider the needs of our community and, in the spirit of the holiday, make generous donations to those less fortunate. God bless you for your generosity and understanding.


Let us pray for all the elderly members of our community and those are sick and suffering. There are many who are solitary and lonely, and they need our prayers. May God comfort and heal His children in His loving mercy, and give them strength. These people are in need not only of our prayers, but of our company. If possible, try to make the time to visit these individuals, and remind them of the possibility of confession and Holy Communion. Please also inform our Mission about the sick members of our community.


A Letter from Gyuri L�vay

November 21, 2012

My dear friends:

Two years ago around Thanksgiving, I had to undergo an arm and foot amputation. At the time, I felt I would never be happy again, nor feel grateful for anything in my life. I was wrong. Six months ago, I received a prosthetic arm, which I never could have afforded without your help. The prosthetic arm looks and works great. I can use it perfectly while at the university—I even take notes faster than others! Currently, I am a computer engineer student at P�zm�ny P�ter Catholic University, where I specialized in robotics. We set up a research group to try to develop a prosthetic hand for my other arm. For this, I will have to undergo one or two more corrective wrist surgeries. We are still looking for a hand surgeon specialist who could perform these operations. Two years ago, I felt that this was the end of the world! Since then, I have moved away from my parents and live independently again. This year’s Thanksgiving dinner (my family celebrates it here in Hungary too), I will give thanks to you for getting me my old life back. You helped me, thought of me, and gave me a great gift.

Warm regards,

Gyuri Lévay


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