Magyar News, 1990. november-1991. augusztus (1. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)

1990-12-01 / 2. szám

FUMELESS FUMES In the U.S. we talk and do a lot about pollution. We blame the cars, the auto makers and the oil companies for mess­ing up the air. Recently the Hungarians changed the scenario. The people are the ones who are fuming and not the cars. The Hungarian government raised the price of gas. It was high according to our standards but now it cost $4.00 a gallon. So to protest they congregated the cars in sensitive traffic areas. They created road blockages and really messed up the traf­fic. In these piles of vehicles there were the passenger cars, busses, trucks, motor­cycles, and if possible, UFOs. It wasn’t just a show of disappointment, it was a strike lasting for several days. As a result the government lowered the price of gas. Keep watching the Hungarians. You never know. HUNGARIAN WRAPPED IN AMERICAN FLAG Our last issue gave news about Major General Asboth. This is a report by a participant of the event. In the Forth Myer Chapel on Oct. 23rd, at Arlington National Cemetery, a 45 minute memorial service was conducted for Major General Alexander Asboth. Many of our fellow hungarians from this area took part in the event. The casket was draped with the Ameri­can flag and was carried into the chapel while the military band played softly out­side, their music complementing the som­ber Tuesday afternoon. Prayers were said and the Ambassador of Argentina remarked on the outstand­ing work and contributions of Asboth, while he was Ambassador to Argentina and Paraguay over a century ago. Edward Derwinski, Secretary of Vete­rans Affairs, said “Major General Alex­ander Asboth was a champion of free­dom, who served our country and Argentina with distinction.” We also cele­brate that Major General Alexander Asboth’s land is free,” referring to Hun­gary. Mr. István B. Gereben, Executive Sec­retary, Coordinating Committee of Hungarian Organizations in North America, said in his eulogy “The fact that today is the anniversary day of the Hun­garian Revolution of 1956 reminds us that freedom is never won forever. Freedom must be defended again and again by men like General Asboth, the doughboys, the G.l.s of Normandy and Korea, the young kids of Budapest, the Vietnam Veterans, the soldiers of Desert Shield. By remem­bering this General of the Civil War we pay our respects to all of them.” Mr. Ger­eben ended his words in Hungarian: Isten veled Tábornok Ur! Nyugodj immár örök békében, fogadott hazád szabad földjében. Isten köreiében, mindannyiunk szivében! REV. JOSEPH VÁSÁRHELYI Recently there has been a change of spiritual leaders in our area. We will introduce those, who came, to our read­ers in the upcoming issues. This time we would like to present Rev. Joseph Vásár­helyi, minister of the Hungarian Reformed Church (U. C. C.) in South Norwalk. Rev. Vásárhelyi, son of a prominent pastor of Nagyszeben, was born in 1953 in Transylvania. Studied and graduated from the Protestant Theological Univer­sity of Kolozsvár As a licensed preacher he served in Dés and Brassó. Early in 1977 he passed the final exams for ordi­nation. In the same year he moved to Canada. Two years later Rev. Vásárhelyi was ordained by the Presbytery of Paris, Ontario. He served the church in Delhi, acted as Interim Moderator for other congregations, and was representative at General Assemblies. In his last five years in Canada he served two congregations, Delhi and Brandford. This is what Rev. Joseph Vásárhelyi says about himself, his work, his philosophy: “Delhi and Brantford are in the so called Tobacco Belt of Canada, where the Petun Indians started to grow tobacco in the late 1600s. The first Hungarians ar­rived in Delhi in 1929 and today in 1990 there are 3 Hungarian Churches such as the Reformed, the Greek Catholic and the Roman Catholic in the area, and 2 Hungarian Institutions, the Hungarian and Szekely Houses. In Brantford there is one Hungarian Church and one Hungar­ian House. The distance between the 2 localities is 20 miles. I arrived in the United States in May of 1990 after the S. Norwalk Hungarian Reformed Church extended a “unani­mous call to perform the pastoral duties in their midst. We moved here with my pregnant wife Maria, and since then we have a 2 month old son, József Ferenc. We feel the warm support of the Con­gregation. My Installation is on December the 1st, Saturday at 5 p.m. in the S. Nor­walk Hungarian Reformed Church fol­lowed by the Baptism of our son and Supper at the European Chef at the Inn in Darien. We look forward to this Cele­bration. It will be a day to remember for both us and the congregation. Why am I a pastor in today’s world, where everything seems to be more im­portant than the love of God, faith, reli­gion? First of all I grew up in a devout Christian family, in a' church where my father was the pastor and my mother the church organist. Despite the fact that I grew up in Eastern Europe where believers were persecuted, I had many great expe­riences that draw me closer to Christian­ity than anything else. My great uncle was the bishop of Transylvania between 1935- 1964, and even as a child I read his writ­ings. Living in a split world between school and home I became a searcher. As a student I loved geography and I started to travel. I loved the new things, the beau­tiful architecture, the traditions of the people, but one thing became more and more clear to me. I felt home in most of the 32 countries I visited because these countries had Christian Churches and in those I always felt the almightiness of God, His omnipotent presence. With the good seed planted in my heart and search­ing for the truth I have no difficulty hav­ing a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ who says in John 18:37 “I was born and came into the world for one purpose, to speak about the truth. Who­ever belongs to the truth listens to Me.” Rev. Vásárhelyi has Hungarian service every Sunday, participates in the Hun­garian Committee and organized four Hungarian language and heritage classes in Norwalk. We welcome him to our community and ask God's blessing on him and his work. The Major General’s distant family members, the attending diplomats and guests were following the hearse drawn by 6 horses accompanied by the honor guard to the grave site ceremony. At the final resting place a black horse without its soldier stood in place, looking on, with only a hat and a sword fastened to the saddle and a boot resting in the stirrup. Thirteen shots from a cannon broke the silence. The chaplain prayed and the the band played our national anthem. Major General Alexander Asboth’s dis­tant nephew, who is incidentally also in the U.S. service, received the folded flag from the casket. A representative from- President Bush was escorted to the young man and she spoke to your Asboth. As I glanced back at the gravesite from the top of the hill, I saw one soldier stand­ing at attention by the coffin. One hundred twenty two years later Major General Alexander Asboth’s wish was granted and his memory will live in all of our hearts. Klara Moravek

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