Magyar News, 1993. szeptember-1994. augusztus (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1993-09-01 / 1. szám
REV. DR. ALEXANDER HAVADTÖY Born on November 11th, 1924, in Kovászna, Transylvania. A descendant of an old family of Reformed Ministers for many generations, dating back to the Reformation times. His father, Alexander Sr.., is still active as a Reformed Minister there. His mother is Susan H. (nee Kovács). He attended Public School in Kovászna, 1931-1935, and then High School of the “Szekely Miko Reformed College” in St. George during the years 1935-1943. Matriculated with honors on June 24th, 1943. Dr. Havad toy started h is theological studies at the Seminary of the ‘Theological Faculty of the Hungarian reformed Church of Transylvania” in Kolozsvár, and completed the whole theological course during the years 1943-1948. He passed his final examination “summa cum laude” on June 25th, 1948. At the same time he also completed the four year Philosophical and Pedagogical course at the Franz Joseph (Bolyai) University in Kolozsvár. During the year 1944 he interrupted his studies in Kolozsvár to go for one semester to the “Reformed Theological Academy” in Budapest, Hungary. Receiving a scholarship from the World Council of Churches, he went in July 1948 to the University of Basel, Switzerland, where he studied under professors Karl Barth and Karl Jaspers. Received his Doctor of Theology degree from the University of Basel, Switzerland on February 18th, 1952. Unable to return to his homeland, which in the meantime had become Communist, he accepted an invitation of the Presbyterian Church in Canada for a Ministry and arrived in Canada on March 9th, 1953. He immediately began to serve the Hungarian Mission-field in Ontario and was ordained on July 17th, 1953. From July 1954 until May 1960 he was minister of the Hungarian Presbyterian Church in Windsor, Ontario. Dr. Havadtöy came to the United States on May 29,1960 upon the invitation of the Calvin United Church of Christ, 901 Kings Highway, Fairfield, where he is still presently serving. He also served as Supervisor at Yale Divinity School between 1962- 1986. Active in community affairs, he has been Editor of the Reformed News; Staff member of Radio Free Europe since 1967, through which he preaches regularly to Hungary and to other nations of Central and Eastern Europe. He is a member of the Committee For Human Rights in Rumania; vice president of the Committee of Transylvania; advisor to the State Department Commission on Human Rights; represented the Hungarian Reformed Churches before various subcommittees of the United States Senate and House of Representatives; delegate to the World Reformed Alliance in Seoul, Korea and Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Havadtöy is a past moderator of the Presbytery of Chatham; past president of the Bridgeport Pastors Association, and past president of the Council of Churches of the Greater Bridgeport area. At present he is dean of the Fairfield Clergy Association. His publications include: “Arbeit and Eigentum in den Schriften des Jungen POET MARGARET FEKETE CSÓVÁNYOS Early in June there was a remarkable event in Norwalk, in the Hungarian Reformed Church’s Auditorium. Poet Margaret Fekete Csóványos presented her poems to the American Hungarian community. The poems are published in the book “A Varied Bouquet of Poems.” They are selected works of value by a woman who dedicated her life to serve the American Hungarian national and religious community. Nothing is new about her activity in the interest of her Country and the emigrated Hungarian people because she did much of that in her 1 ife. New is the way she did it this time with her artistic talent and with her high quality personal presentation. She wrote about historical events like in: “Wartime Thanksgiving Day,” “My Flag,” “The Gold Start Home,” “A National Cemetery”; religious events like in: “A New Bouquet,” “That Old Crab Apple Tree,” “Some Flowers”; personal events like in: “The Spirit of a Hungarian Girl,” “Thoughts on Mother’s Day,” “Grandma”; national events like in: “Each Evening,” “National Cemetery,” “Budapest’s St. Gellert Hill,” and many, many more—I can’t name them all. The poems are artistic, expressed in her extraordinary fine style. They’re easy to understand, easy to keep in memory, and hard to ever forget. She explained the meaning of her poems and the motives that inspired her to write them. About three months ago, I had a composer’s night in Budapest at the famous Feszek Club—this is the centrum of the Hungarian Art. The best known actors, singers, musicians, painters, sculptors, and writers comprise this organization. Here I asked myself, would Margaret Fekete Csóványos’ poems stand up in this organization? I say: Yes. The quality of her poems is worth matching to a high quality artistic work. I have to go over the artistic side of this evening: In our emigration, our Hungarian survival depends on two major requirements: The Hungarians have to be organized and they have to have financial funds. Besides Marx,” Basel, 1952; “Confession in the Presbyterian Church,” Windsor, 1955; “Tentative Statement Concerning Eschatology,” Windsor, 1957; “Karl Barth: Between East and West,” Bridgeport, 1962; “On Being a Christian,” Bridgeport, 1963; “Calvin United Church 1926-1976,” Fairfield; “Preaching in the Reformed Church in Romania;” American Foreign Policy Institute, Studies of Eastern European Affairs, Washington, 1986; several articles in theological journals and newspapers. He also writes articles for the Magyar News. Rev. Havadtöy married a Canadian girl, the former Miss Magdalene Juhász, on May 1 st, 1954. They have two daughters, Sandra and Leila. the artistic presentation, these two major requirements were the success of Margaret Fekete Csóványos’ night: A good number of Hungarians gathered to see her program and the financial fund-raising was also very successful. She donated all income to the Financial Fund of the Norwalk Hungarian Committee. Thank you poet Margaret Csóványos. I hope with your memorable event you ignited a new Hungarian Movement Ferenc Vardai Valu 5
