Calvin Synod Herald, 1993 (93. évfolyam, 2-6. szám)
1993-11-01 / 6. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD-6-The American Hungarian Reformed Deaconess of God by Dr. Aladár Komjáthy It was a hopeless day in March of 1992. I did not feel well, and the phone rang. After hesitating between the answering service and taking the call, reluctantly, I decided to pick up the phone. There was a pleasant male voice telling me that his mother had died in Florida, the funeral would be in Fort Lincoln Cemetery, and a gentleman in the Hungarian Reformed Federation had given him my number. He asked, "Will you take care of the burial service for my mother?" I agreed; he gave me his phone number to call in Maryland and our conversation ended. After I returned the phone call to his home, I realized the importance of this funeral. I realized I would have to conduct the burial service of one of the unsung heroes of our American Hungarian Reformed community: Anna Melegh. There is so much warmth, beauty and love in this name already. The voice in Maryland directed me to a phone number in West Virginia: another, forgotten andyetsoimportantname of our community: Rev. Sziarto. First, he confused me with Bishop Harsanyi, and then expressed his sorrow that he could not come to the funeral. He told me that Anne had been a great woman whose life and ministry were a gift of god, and an enduring blessing for thousands of people. There was so much warmth in the way Rev. Sziarto remembered Anna Melegh. The dayof the funeral, March 19,1992 arrived. That morning, I had to take my daughter, Victoria, to the University of Maryland very early. From there I continued to Ft. Lincoln Cemetery in D.C. I arrived first, and I was able to observe the arrival of the few people who came to this funeral service. As I was smoking outside the cemetery office, I saw a distinguished gentleman coming toward me and saying in Hungarian "You must be the reverend." Col Steven Nemeth, the former military attaché of the United States in Budapest during the Stalinist era. Then, Géza Katona and his wife followed. He was the hero of the U.S. embassy in Budapest during the 1956 revolution. And all the others: Pat and George Wallochik, Helen and Steven Gaboczy: former diplomats, national television personalities and retired officers. They had, however, one thing in common: The Hungarian Reformed Church of Homestead, Pennsylvania where they grew up. Anna Melegh had been their deaconess and taught them to sing, dance and pray in the American-Hungarian way. Here they were, faithfully, 50 some years later. A quick decision was made: they would have to sing in Hungarian at the grave site. She had been their teacher and lifelong friend. We even practiced singing „Nincs már szivem félelmére" together. By the time the children and family members arrived, we were ready! Sons Douglas and Richard, daughterin-law Cariolana Wolters Simon, Anna's niece Susan Perpall, and nephew William Beresford III were the family members. And there were the graves of her father and mother, the Rev. and Mrs. Gyula Melegh, a well-known name in our community, since the Reverend had also been a district manager of the Federation. I felt the air was filled with American- Hungarian Reformed history. Anna Melegh was born in the Hungarian Reformed parsonage in Buffalo, grew up in the McKeesport manse, and was the finest deaconess in the Hungarian Reformed Church of Homestead for about ten years during the ministry of the Rev. Barna Dienes, another great leader of our community. (He was the first president of the Magyar - now Calvin - Synod. In 1943, she ceased to be deaconess. It was to the detriment of our entire community. She continued to be the deaconess of God wherever she served. She married Mark Joseph Wolters, who died young in 1950, and Anna Melegh was the widowed mother of two sons. She was a teacher in Virginia Beach and in Montgomery County, MD, outside Washington, D.C., for 24 years. Her teaching in the field of special education was a blessing to hundreds. After retiring to Florida in 1976, she was involved in the Hungarian Reformed churches in the area. For instance, she gave the short English sermons in the largely Hungarian language services. She was the deaconess of God until the end. The funeral was the celebration of her life's ministry as a deaconess. Col. Nemeth told me after the funeral: "In the darkest days of depression she gave us the light and inspiration to become what we became. I am so sorry that my children and great grandchildren never had the same church experience we had underthe guidance of Anne in the Hugnarian Reformed Church of Homestead." Geza Katona commented, "She was years ahead of her time. We loved her, but the hierarchs never recognized what they lost when they accepted her resignation." At the end of the service, we sang in Hungarian: "Now my heart no more fears to see depths of the grave chosen for me; Since Jesus rose in triumph, I know how God can dusty death o'erthrow. Cease my soul, your unfounded joy, banish my sighs! Death's but a sleep, soon we will rise!" ___________REFOMflTÜSOK LflPJfl Vacant Congrega ions Bridgeport, CT-Rev. Dr. Alexander Füleki has been removed by Synod from his pastorate with the approval of the congregation. From November 1, the church is vacant. □ □□ Flint, Ml - Rev. Peter Pál Bodor left the congregation on November 1. He moved to Florida to organize a new congregation down South underthe care of the Calvin Synod. □ □□ Gary, IN - Rev. Michael Orosz left Gary and accepted the pastorate of the Montreal church in Canada. □□□ Kalamazoo, Ml - Rev. Joseph Hertelendy resigned his pastorate and the congregation is vacant from November 1. □ □□ Applications for these congregations are to be sent to the Bishop's Office.
