Calvin Synod Herald, 1973 (73. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1973-01-01 / 1. szám
6 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD factory in Rudabanya but the main occupations of the people are mining and farming. There are two churches in Rudabanya. The Catholic church is close to the center of the town and is in fair condition. The people still attend the Masses and the bell is ringing all day long. The Protestant church is on top of the hill outside the center of town. From this hill, one can see almost all of Rudabanya. This is the church my father attended with his family before he left Hungary before the war. It is a very historic church having been founded by the followers of John Huss who preceeded Martin Luther in Reformation history. To say that the church is in poor condition would be saying too little. It almost doesn’t exist at all. All that was of historical or artistic significance was removed from the church by the government two years ago to a museum in Budapest. It is very hard to even see the church anymore because of the overgrown bushes and vines. The steep walk leading up to the church and past the bell tower is completely overgrown and a path had to be cut away to get through. The bell tower to the right of the walk is separate from the church and is crumbling away. Great pieces of plaster stucco have fallen off the outside of the tower and I never heard the two bells ring in all the time I was in Rudabanya. The sanctuary itself is in similar decay but only worst. In some places where the plaster stucco has fallen off, only the bare stones remain. The flying buttresses that held the walls erect are gone and the stain glass windows are either missing or broken. Once inside the church it is very hard to tell there once was a church at all. The mosaic tile floor is gone along with the pews and only the dirt floor is left. The walls of the church were stripped of the frescoes leaving the bare plaster and timber. The ceiling which was once covered with frescoes of church history was also taken away and the naked beams that were left made the ceiling look like that of a barn. The pulpit was left but it was damaged. The white plaster is chipped, scratched and dirty. The pump organ is still in the choir loft which was stripped of its pews along with the others below, and in the corner of the church amid the straw and timber, a chicken had left an offering of three eggs-The minister who showed us where everything used to be said there were no services being held anymore and the congregation had made no plans to restore the church. John Vincze ARPAD GOLD MEDAL presented to Doctor Karol Ripa, President of the Polish-Hungarian World Federation and affiliates by the Right Reverend Arpad L. Beretz, Bishop on November 4, 1972 at the Lake Shore Club, Chicago on the occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Hungarian (Magyar) Club of Chicago. Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen: In the affairs of men rarely does an occasion emerge such as the unique presentation being made here tonight. The Sons of Hungary honor a Son of Poland. This great Polish patriot, this eminent American, this talented leader of community, has given a place in his heart, a love in his soul, for Hungary and its people. A diplomat by profession, he is also a great humanitarian by nature. His support of the Hungariaan cause, of World War I refugees and displaced persons in Siberia is well known. As President of the Polish-Hungarian World Federation he works unceasingly for all true and just Hungarian aspirations. He has made the Polish-Hungarian World Federation an effective tool in the struggle against tyranny, slavery and dictatorship in Eastern Europe and throughout the world. It’s influence is now felt in many capitols and countries. It’s voice is heard in the legislative chambers of free nations. The leaders of the Free World listen when the Polish-Hungarian World Federation speaks. And now for his leadership, his devotion, his dedication and committment to the cause of Polish-Hungarian friendship, the Arpad Academy wishes to bestow upon him it’s highest honor, the Arpad Medal of Gold for his outstanding service in promoting Polish-Hungarian friendship, unmarred by war for more than a thousand years; for espousing every good and worthwhile Hungarian cause with great vigor and constancy; for cherishing the ideals of freedom and liberty; for his personal graciousness and gentle humility; his faith in God and mankind, I now take great personal pride and consider it a high personal honor to present to you, Dr. Karol Ripa, this Gold Medal of the Arpad Academy. May you regard it as a token of our sincere appreciation and highest regard. God bless you!
