Bethlen Naptár, 1957 (Ligonier)
To Our New Generations
Bethlen Home Children’s Choral Group Visiting Our Churches Throughout the Country. spruce and birch, one can see two of the buildings of the Home; the third, or the Farm House, is situated just over the hill. The official name of these buildings is “The Old People’s Home of The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America.” In a beautiful spot near the village green there is another building, in front of which an outdoor bulletin board bears this name: “The Children’s Home of The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America.” These are the homes which house the orphans, the fatherless and the homeless children of our Federation among whom we find a large number who are the offsprings of non-members. Here, also, are the aged, the weary and the friendless. The abbreviated name of the two institutions is, “THE BETHLEN HOME.” It was named after Gabriel Bethlen, the Prince of Transylvania and one of the most renowned Hungarian Reformed churchmen, himself an orphan, who became a stalwart champion of both religious and political freedom. On the average the Home feeds around a hundred persons a day — persons who come from broken homes, uncared for and unloved; persons who are lonely and tired, nearing the end of life’s journey. The Welfare Department of the State of Pennsylvania called this Home one of the most beautiful and best furnished institutions in the State. Bishop László Ravasz referred to it as the “Heart of the American Hungarians.” Since the Bethlen Home has been established as the convention place of the Federation as well as of many national Reformed organizations, it has added reasons to be called the HEART of the American Hungarian Reformed people. It is a place, indeed, where dreams are dreamt and visions are seen. It took the arduous work of 35 long years and the combined effort and sacrifice of the Reformed Federation, the Church and the American Hungarians in general to make the Bethlen Home what it is. The estate 206 BETHLEN NAPTÁR
