Fall 2015 www.HungarianCatholicMission.com


PASTOR'S MESSAGE


Since our last Newsletter, a number of important events have taken place in our community.  Most noteworthy was the Dedication of the Chapel Our Lady of Hungary in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington D.C. This is probably the last Catholic Chapel to be built at the Basilica that represents the diverse culture of America from Mexican-American to Hungarian-American and everything in between.




The Concelebrated Mass was hosted by Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington and Peter Cardinal Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom, Hungry.  All Hungarian-American parishes were represented.   A relic of Saint Stephen was brought from the Saint Stephen Basilica in Budapest and placed into the Hungarian Chapel as part of the dedication ceremony.  For me, it was a deeply spiritual experience to include the singing of the Hymn: “Gyözelemröl énekeljen napkelet és napnyugat.”

After Mass, Cardinal Wuel and Erdö and the Hungarian Embassy in Washington hosted a reception for everyone attending this special day.  Laszlo Kövér, the speaker of the Hungarian Parliament and Reka Szerenyi Ambassador of Hungary to Washington were also present.  A Hungarian band played great music and we all had our fill of great Hungarian food and wine.  I felt like I was back in Hungary.

Thank you to the 20 members of our Hungarian Catholic Mission that attended.  I know these days went so quickly.  This was a blessed experience and I want to personally thank Adam Kobor for hosting our delegation at his house.

Our Lady of Hungary and King Saint Stephen, pray for us.


  Father Maurus Nemeth (OSB)
  Pastor
  Hungarian Catholic Mission
  Work: 650-851-6109
  Email: mnemeth@prioryca.org



LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT


Report of events since the spring bulletin.


April 5, Easter Sunday. A large crowd gathered in the chapel to commemorate the resurrection of our Lord, and to witness the first communion of Horváth Zsófia during the mass.  After mass, the celebration continued with the blessing of the food at the feast with excellent ham and Easter eggs made by the members. The delicious chocolate cake was provided by the Vincze family.

May 03  We remembered Cardinal József Mindszenty

May 09  A Hungarian Heritage Foundation Festival in Belmont, California

The participation of our Hungarian Catholic Mission at the Hungarian Heritage Festival in Belmont was a great success. The festival offered great cultural programs as well as some really delicious Hungarian food prepared by different Hungarian organization from the Bay Area.  All the food that was offered at the Festival by our Catholic Mission under the watchful eye of Father Maurus's supervision. Lots of homemade dessert was contributed by our Mission woman members. We all took part in the selling and serving of our foods to the Hungarian crowds. We had a pleasant time in great company celebrating our heritage with our Hungarian brothers and sisters.  We would like to thank everyone for all the help in staging this great event. 

May 10  We celebrated Mother’s Day with a special lunch

May 17 We celebrated Pentecost

June 07 Year-end celebration for our scouts. During the mass we gave thanks to the Lord for his help during the scout year.

June 21 We have celebrated Father’s Day at our 11 AM Mass

August 15 Our Annual Hungarian Picnic

On a very hot summer day, our Hungarian Catholic Mission put on a spectacular event bringing together Bay Area Hungarians and local Hungarian food lovers.  We had a long arduous process with the preparation of the Hungarian dishes. This year is a special year when several of the secret recipes were handed down to the young members of our Hungarian Mission.  The event started at 11 am and we served sumptuous hearty food for lunch.
After lunch Laszlo Kalman, Consul General of Hungary delighted the crowds with his insightful speech about the historical significance of August the 15th. While feasting on the Hungarian fried bread `langos`, Tibor Horvath and Yelena Savchenko entertained  the guests with their beautiful melodies. The langos is usually one of the favorite foods.  Thank you to the Hungarian Reform Church members for making this possible.  Our guests had a wonderful afternoon with great food. The proceeds from this picnic will help our many charitable organizations in Hungary.

August 29  Washington DC Pilgrimage

Thank you all that made the trip to Washington D.C.  Following the mass and the dedication ceremony, there was a celebratory Hungarian feast and picnic. Our members had some spare time to enjoy this historic town and learn a bit about it.
One of the evening highlight was the dinner hosted by the Kobor family. Our group had a great time enjoying their hospitality. Thank you Adam and Krisztina Kobor!

Szept 13 Scout Opening ceremony, welcoming

For this year we had about 10 new families joining the scouts. The Hungarian School and Hungarian Scouts fill an important role.  While the children are at the Hungarian School, the parents organize programs together. Notably, we also have American children among the scouts, whose parents introduce the children to the Hungarian culture. We have placed special emphasis on the Hungarian language, and for the children to talk to each other in Hungarian. They learn folk songs, folk games, and folk arts and crafts.
The scout fall camp theme was the legends about King Mathias.  It is touching to see how much work is put in by the leaders and parents, for the scout program and helping preserve  our Hungarian identity.

Eva Papai
President, Hungarian Catholic Mission


FAITH


History of Woodside Priory

In a small ranch house where Founders Hall stands today, Father Egon Javor, OSB celebrated a Mass on November 11, 1956.  It was the feast of Saint Martin, patron Saint of his mother Abbey in Pannonhalma, Hungary. This day also signified a new beginning for the Hungarian community of the great San Francisco Bay Area.   For over 58 years, Hungarian priests continue to serve the Priory.   Let us pray and reflect on the founding members of the priory which would not exist today without their dedication.  Father Egon, Father Christopher, Father Benignus, Father Achilles, Father Leopold, Father Stanley and Father Emod, pray for us.  We are so blessed for the Woodside Priory, the Hungarian Catholic Mission, Hungarian Scouts and the Center of Hungarian Cultural Activities.  In all things, may God be glorified!

New Members

We extend our warm welcome to our new Hungarian students who arrived to the Priory for the 2015-16 school year. Regina Sebestyen from the Benedictine High School in Gyor and Mate Bago from Pannonhalma, Hungary. Both quickly have assimilated into the Woodside Priory to include being frequent readers in our Hungarian Mass.  
Beside their academic program they are participating in our school’s music, drama and sport programs.

We also welcome Eniko Nemeth who was selected to the Korosi Csoma Sandor Scholarship Program.  Eniko is working in the San Francisco Bay Area with the Hungarian communities for the next nine months. Eniko has arrived on September 1.
If you see any of our scholarship recipients, please welcome them into our community.


Liturgical Sacramental events since our last Newsletter


Baptisms

On June 28th we welcomed Leonidas Jackson Nocon, the son of Carlo Nocon and Julianna Konye to the Family of God in the sacrament of Baptism.

On September 20th we celebrated the Baptism of Jacob Alexander Kovacs, son of Zoltan Kovacs and Cheril Borber who came from Tennessee to have their son’s Baptism here. Jacob is a grandson of Louis and Klara Kovacs who were members of our Mission Community for many years and now live in Hungary.

Weddings

On August 22nd we witnessed the wedding of Peter Molnar and Annamaria Strausz in our Mission Community. We are wishing them a prosperous Christian life with God’s abundant Blessing.

Deceased
 
On August 13th  Erzsebet Tarczy, a faithful member of our Mission Community, returned to her Creator.  Her Memorial service was held in the Woodside Priory Chapel with the Mission Community, family  and many friends. After the Memorial Mass, we had a reception in her honor in the Student Dining Room. Erzsebet served the Bay Area Hungarian Community for more than a half century. She enriched our national and cultural events with her lovely voice and artistic performances. May the Lord bless her as she now is with God in heaven.  

Liturgical Events





Prayer Request

Let us all pray for the sick and elderly members of our Community, especially Aladar Szoboszlay as he continues to recover from his stroke. Please, try to use our “Light a Candle” Prayer Request on our Website to pray for special requests.



CULTURE


Enclosed is the invitation that was sent out by the Hungarian Ambassador to the United States for the Dedication of the Hungarian Chapel at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  It was a pleasure meeting all the dignitaries who traveled throughout the world for this memorable dedication.



Acknowledging Mary as the “mother of all nations, but especially of us,” Cardinal Péter Erdö of Esztergom-Budapest joined Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl in blessing and dedicating the new Chapel of Our Lady of Hungary at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Aug. 29.

In his homily at the Mass that preceded the chapel’s dedication, Cardinal Erdö prayed that Our Lady as the patroness of Hungary, joined by the Hungarian saints, would intercede on behalf of Hungarians living in America and all over the world, and also intercede on behalf of the United States and its people.

“Our languages, traditions and community lives may be very different, but our Catholic faith is the same all over the world. The Church wants to speak to everyone so as to find the best way to one’s heart,” the Hungarian cardinal said in his homily, encouraging people to find hope and meaning in their lives by meeting Jesus and forming a personal relationship with him. The cardinal concluded his homily by saying, “May God give us that this chapel strengthened the community of faith and love between us.”

The 1,000 pilgrims attending the Mass and dedication included a delegation from Hungary, and Hungarians from across the United States and Canada. Cardinal Wuerl, who as archbishop of Washington serves as the chairman of the National Shrine’s Board of Trustees, was the principal celebrant of the Mass. The concelebrants included Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó, the apostolic nuncio to the United States and personal representative of Pope Francis; Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde; and Bishop Kurt R. Burnette of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic, New Jersey.

After Communion, Msgr. Walter Rossi, the basilica’s rector, expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by the Hungarian government to ensure that the chapel was built. “This is the 81st chapel to be added to the shrine, and only the second to be financially supported by a country,” he said. (The government of Austria provided funding for the shrine’s Chapel of Our Lady of Mariazell, which was dedicated in 1992.)

In addition to the support from the government of Hungary and donations from Hungarians of American descent, the new Our Lady of Hungary Chapel was built with the support of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, which is led by Cardinal Erdö.

In 2006 – the 50th anniversary the Hungarian revolution – the prelate petitioned that a chapel be established in the National Shrine to honor Our Lady of Hungary and St. Stephen, the first Christian king of Hungary. The chapel was completed this spring.

The dedication of the Chapel of Our Lady of Hungary, which is located in the basilica’s Crypt level, began with a procession starting in the Great Upper Church, where the Mass was held. A first-class relic of St. Stephen – a gift of Cardinal Erdö and the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest – was brought to the chapel and placed in a reliquary there.

The chapel features a large mosaic of Our Lady of Hungary, surrounded by Hungarian saints Emeric, Gerard, Ladislaus, Elizabeth, Gizela and Margaret. The altar, made of Hungarian Tardos marble, is modeled on the design of the altar at the Basilica of St. Stephen in Hungary. Marble reliefs depict the baptism of St. Stephen and his coronation as king of Hungary on Christmas Day, 1000, and St. Stephen giving his crown to the Blessed Virgin Mary on the day of his death in 1038. St. Stephen unified Hungary into a single kingdom and established Christianity as its religion.

Hungarian marble and stone were used to construct the walls, floor and altar of the chapel, which were fabricated in Hungary.

Hungarian Scouts, including boys and girls and young adults, handed out programs and helped serve as ushers for the Mass and ceremony. The Mass, with readings in English and Hungarian, opened with a prelude that included the Ave Maria by the famous Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, and music from other noted Hungarian composers, including Zoltán Kodály, was sung throughout the liturgy.

After Communion, Dr. Réka Szemerkényi – the ambassador of Hungary to the United States – noted how Hungarian refugees fleeing Communist oppression in their country found hope in the United States, and relied on their faith as they built new lives in this country. “Generations of Hungarians arrived in the United States with suitcases in their hands, and felt it was their first priority to build churches,” she said.

The new chapel, she said, is a source of great joy for Hungarians. “A chapel is not about the past. It is about our present values, and hope for the future,” the ambassador said.

Dr. László Kövér, the speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly, also spoke after Communion, noting, “We believe faith and morality will always remain the foundation of the future of mankind. This chapel will without doubt be a spiritual home for Hungarians and Hungarian Americans.”

Cardinal Wuerl in his closing remarks at the Mass said, “The chapel will be a visible, physical reminder to all of us of the bonds we share that unite us in faith and history.”

After the chapel was dedicated, the pilgrims lining up to see it included Maria Kauremszky, who lives in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and is a member of Our Lady of Hungary Church in Welland, Ontario. Following the 1956 revolution in Hungary, she and her parents and four siblings escaped to Canada, when she was 12, with “what we had on our backs. It was difficult,” she said, adding, “We always had our faith. That’s the foundation of our lives.”

Robert Popper, who fled from Hungary as a young man in 1950 and is now retired and living in Washington, said with his Catholic faith, “I never felt alone.”

The gift bearers at the Mass included five young adults of Hungarian descent wearing native costumes. Sylvia Földes-Berman, 19, wore a deep green vest and skirt with ornate, hand-sewn embroidery, and her sister Andrea Berman,17, wore a matching red outfit. Both are members of St. Stephen Hungarian Roman Catholic Church in Passaic, New Jersey. When asked about Hungarians’ devotion to Our Lady, the older sister said, “She’s our mother, socially and religiously.”


Cultural Events organized
by the Hungarian Catholic Mission


May 1
, 2015 The pianist, Peter Toth gave an excellent performance, which was enjoyed by a large number of people. Peter Toth began playing the piano at age 11 at one of his neighbors.  In 2001 he was invited to the Piano Festival at Tiszadob, where he performed with Zoltan Kocsis and Dezso Ranki. In the same year he has won the Ferenc Liszt International Piano Competition in Budapest.  He was awarded the Junior Prima Prize of Hungary in music category in 2012. In 2013 Peter also won the Paderewski International Piano Competition in Los Angeles. 

June 20, 2015 The Hungarian Catholic Mission and Matrai Music Management organized the literary evening with actor, Andras Balint.  Andras performed from the best in  Hungarian literature.  He is a recipient of the Kossuth and Jaszai awards.  After the performance, Andras Balint invited his guests to a discussion, where his wife Krisztina Deak.  Krisztina is a respected film director, and recipient of the Bela Balazs award for screenplay writing.

June 18  We had the Hungarian Connection Summer Gala performance.  The Le Petit Pas Balett Ensemble delivered an original summer night mood.  Aniko and Imre Ragoncza, who arrived from Budapest, performed Hungarian historical dances, and reenactment of the golden age of Transylvania. A former member of the Mihalkovsky Association from St. Petersburg, Alexey Kulpin, performed one of the most virtuoso man’s ballet.

October 31: We are eagerly awaiting one of the most popular groups from Hungary, the Triasz band. In their “Lost Songs” tour of Canada and the United States they are performing here on Halloween night for the Bay Area Hungarians.

November 7: The traditional, annual Sausagefest. We have started the preparations.
The proceeds of the dinner will benefit the poor people of the Diocese of Vac in Hungary.

November 22: The Eszter-lánc fairytale band from Hungary will perform an interactive fairytale concert for the children and interested adults.  The bands consists of Eszter Karasz (singing, ukulele, flute, tilinko), Gyorgy Molnar (guitar, singing), Csongor Veer (violin), Gabor Clemente (percussion), Gabor Becze (double bass).


Visit One of Our SisterHungarian Churches
in the United States




TIMELINE OF HOLY CROSS HUNGARIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH
8423 South Street – Detroit, Michigan

1905 – Holy Cross Hungarian Parish was established on May 8, 1905. Its founding pastor, Fr. Hubert Klenner (born in Kolozvar, Transylvania) built the first church, school and rectory.
1906 – The cornerstone for the first Church was laid on the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross on May 3rd.
1907 – The first students were enrolled in the school.

1921 – Fr. Erno Rickert became his successor and was the pastor for 9 months. He built additions to the school.

1921 – Fr. Lajos Kovacs took over as pastor and is credited for building the present Church. Henry Kohner, a Hungarian of German descent designed the Neo-Gothic Church.

1924 – The cornerstone was laid on November 26, 1924 for the new Church. The main altar, side altars, pulpit, baptismal font and many statues were fashioned by the Pontifical Institute of Arts in Chicago.

1925 – Bishop Gallagher consecrated the new Church on September 20, 1925.

1927 – Fr. Kovacs passed away suddenly on July 22 and Msgr. Dezso Nagy was assigned to the parish. He established a Soup Kitchen for the hungry during the Great Depression.

1931 – The Pipe Organ was installed. The Hitteler Holtcamp Aperling Co., Cleveland, Ohio, made the Organ.

1932 – The Daughter’s of Divine Charity, a Hungarian Order of Nuns took charge of Holy Cross School. The St. Elizabeth Orphanage and the St. Elizabeth Home for the aged was established.

1936 – The stained glass windows were installed. The Schroeder Glass Company of Detroit is responsible for the five windows of the sanctuary, which represent the five great Hungarian saints: Stephen, Emery, Ladislaus, Elizabeth and Margaret. The windows of the nave and transepts, depicting thirty-two saints are the work of the Von Gerichten Studios of Columbus, Ohio, giving to the Church its most artificial value.

1941 – Msgr. Nagy passed away on April 14, 1941. Cardinal Mooney, Archbishop of Detroit appointed the then Associate Pastor, Andrew Jacobs to take over the pastoral duties of the parish.

1948 – The interior of the Church was painted by Paul Daubner, an artist of Hungarian descent.

1950‘s – A new rectory was built in 1951. The bronze “Pieta” statue was erected in the front yard of the rectory as a tribute to the many soldiers who served their country during WW II.

1960’s – Due to seen or unforeseen circumstances, Detroit began its sad decline. As the situation gradually worsened, Delray was forcefully and sadly transformed. Urban sprawl took its toll on the “old neighborhood”.

1970‘s – Due to declining enrollment, the school was closed. Fr. Jacobs entered into eternal rest in 1974. Cardinal Dearden appointed fr. Dominic Csorba, OFM to take over the parish. During his time at Holy Cross he purchased twelve lots around the Church and built a park and established paved parking lots. For the 75th anniversary, the church was renovated and repainted.

1980‘s – A Hungarian school for adults and children was organized. A new altar was placed in the Sanctuary and consecrated on February 14th by Bishop Schoenherr. Fr. Csorba resigned as pastor and Fr. Vendel Pocsai, OFM was appointed pastor for the next 8 years until he returned to his home in Hungary.

1993 – Fr. Daniel Trapp was assigned to the parish for a short time.
1994 – The parish was appointed two Hungarian Franciscan Friars, fr. Barnabas G. Kiss, OFM, pastor and fr. Angelus Ligeti, OFM, Praeses/Associate Pastor. They took on the task of much needed work in the Church and attached buildings.

1995 – Holy Cross celebrated the Ninetieth Anniversary of the founding of Holy Cross Parish and the Seventieth Anniversary of the present Church with a gala event.
Late 1990‘s to 2004 – Renovations continued. The paintings in the Church and the statues were repaired/renovated. The church doors were replaced along with the outside steps leading to the church. Three of the old school rooms were remodeled and turned into a Parish Office, Chapel and Meeting Room. New bathrooms were installed. The stained glass windows were cleaned/repaired. A new heating system and air-conditioning was installed in the Church.

2005 – Today, Holy Cross remains as the only Hungarian Roman Catholic Church in the State of Michigan. May 8th is the official date of the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the parish. For this milestone in the history of the parish the Sanctuary flooring in the Church was reinforced and new carpet was laid. Sanctuary furniture, fashioned after the original main altar, has been put into place. In process is restoration of the original pews and new carpeting for the remainder of the Church.

2006 – Holy Cross continues to celebrate their 100th anniversary.


CHERITY


Deva Foundation

Founded by Franciscan Monks by the leadership of Chaba Bojte. The Deva Foundation provides clothing, housing, food, shelter and a Christian based education to thousands of orphaned or homeless children in Transylvania, Romania. Internationally recognized, the Deva Foundation has made a direct impact on improving the quality of lives of Hungarians.

Goal: $150,000
Achieved: $102,946


Battered Women in Budapest, Hungary

In 2012, we will attempt to open our doors for the first time and provide 1-2 apartments in downtown Budapest that will be used by women and families of domestic abuse. Funds attained will be used to provide a safe housing environment for women and their children in Budapest, Hungary. We provide short term lodging for up to one year and provide all food, shelter, and job training. Our goal is to add two apartments per year. In a city of 2.5M residents, your contributions will allow us to quickly expand our women shelters. Help us grow our Battered Women Shelter in Budapest, Hungary. 

Goal: $50,000
Achieved: $5,065


Disaster Relief

In 2011, Hungary was routinely plagued by floods along the Tisza River and there tributaries. Thousands have been left homeless and scores of others killed. Working with government, aid agencies and local churches, we directly distribute money to the families affected. This year we were able to help 12 families. Your donation will allow homes to be rebuilt, and families to start over. In 2012, our Hungarian Flood Victim fund will add money to purchase farm equipment to displaced Hungarian farmers.

Goal: $50,000
Achieved: $2,925


Education Scholarships for Hungarian Children

Approximately 3,000,000 Hungarians live in Transylvania that is now a part of Romania. Our foundation will provide funding for Hungarian and Romanians to improve cultural diversity, dignity, and respect programs. Funding will also go to fund textbooks for elementary aged students. Our goal is to also fund up to four (4) Hungarian high school students per year to attend our Catholic High School at Woodside Priory, located in Portola Valley, California. Funding includes tuition, food and lodging. Two students will come from Hungary and 2 students will be selected from Transylvania, Romania.

Goal: $50,000
Achieved: $20,550


Hungarian Ministry Abroad

Catholics throughout the world are feeling the increased shortage of ordained priests to serve their dioceses. There are approximately 31 Hungarian Priests/Parishes in the United States serving the religious needs of 975,000 Hungarian Catholics. That is a priest to parishioner ration of 1: 31,451. In most Catholic dioceses in Hungary, the ratio is 1 priest to an average of 3,000 parishioners. Our goal is to help fund part of the seminary costs in Budapest, Hungary. We are currently working with the Bishop in developing a joint internship program, whereby young Hungarian priests can do a 3-5 year pastoral fellowship in any of our 31 Hungarian parishes in the United States. By establishing these bonds, both the American and Hungarian Catholic communities will work closer together in keeping our faith, culture and charity alive. The average age of our Hungarian priests in the United States is 74 years old. Without a strategic change, our Hungarian Catholic identity will be gone forever within 10 years. Make a difference today.

Goal: $50,000
Achieved: $14,600


The Ildiko Zentai Foundation

The foundation was established by the Zentai Family to preserve the memory of Ildikó with an initial donation of $10,000. A large part of her life in the last years were dedicated to the preservation of Hungarian culture, education, and alleviating poverty in California and in Hungary.
This foundation functions under the non-profit Hungarian Catholic Mission in the San Francisco Bay Area. Everyone is eligible to apply for funding from the Foundation, without regard to religious preference, for their work in the preservation and advancement of Hungarian cultural traditions, to support educational needs, and to help alleviate poverty in Hungary, Transylvania, and California. 

Goal: $50,000
 Achieved: $17,390


General Fund

The Hungarian Catholic Mission is constant striving towards improving the Hungarian identity though faith culture and charity. We are working towards helping out with donations for Battered Women in Hungary, Disaster Relief, Deva Foundations, Supporting Hungarian Ministry Abroad, and Education Scholarships for Hungarian Children. In order to do this we need to maintain our own organization.
Fortunately, most of the overhead costs for our administrative facilities are covered by Woodside Priory. However, we do require funding to maintain the mission. 

Goal: $50,000
Achieved: $11,400


The Hungarian Catholic Mission cannot survive without your help.  Our five foundations are geared to helping Hungarians in need, locally, nationally, and internationally.

I ask that you visit our web site and donate to one or more of our foundations.  With your help, we can make a difference.


One of my goals is to keep everyone up to date of how we are doing in raising money to help Hungarians in need.  Your contributions can make the difference.  If you have not donated before, please click the following link:  http://www.hungariancatholicmission.com/donate/donatenow.htm




For more Information:

Please visit our Website: www.hungariancatholicmission.com
You can now find our Summer Bulletin in English and Hungarian.  Please remember to send in your yearly contribution for your Membership to the Hungarian Catholic Mission.


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