Magyar News, 1994. szeptember-1995. augusztus (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1994-11-01 / 3. szám
fr°o7adej 10 MORE YEARS TO THE 100TH In these past years, and in the ones just a short time ahead of us, most of our Hungarian churches celebrate a hundred years of their existence. Waiting in line with 90 years is the United Church of Christ, formerly known as the Hungarian Reformed Church of Bridgeport and Vicinity. This was their name, but on the cornerstone of the present church building it reads Hungarian Evangelical and Reformed Church. In 1964, the year of the 60th anniversary, the congregation voted to accept the name United Church of Christ of Bridgeport, Connecticut and Vicinity. As we know from the history of the First United Church of Christ, Reverend Ernest Komjáthy for two years was their second pastor. In 1904 he gave up his position and was looking for another church. There was disagreement among the congregation members so a small group of 40 people and their families asked Reverend Komjáthy to stay and start a new congregation. That is what happened. On November 25th the new church was organized and the first worship service was held on the 27th in St. George Episcopal Church on the comer of State Street and Hancock Avenue. Hence came the name “State Street Church” setting it apart from the “Pine Street Church.” Reverend Komjáthy and Chief Elder John Szabó, Sr., had a hard time setting the ground for the new congregation. First they rented space and then in the following year secured the facilities of the Episcopal Church. At this time the Reformed Church in Hungary gave a $6,000 loan and as all Hungarian Protestant ministers, Reverend Komjáthy received his salary and pension from the church in Hungary. By 1912 the congregation was so strong that they were able to purchase and renovate a home for the pastor, and it was paid in full. The summer school at the church already had 85 children. In 1913 there was a need for an assistant pastor. Reverend Mircse filled in this position. Reverend Komjáthy lived with the possibility and took his family to Hungary to visit Adorjánháza where his father was the minister and his wife’s father the teacher. There he received a telegram from the congregation asking him to come back immediately. The wartime circumstances hindered him in this effort. He was able to leave and cross the Ocean on a U.S. warship, but women and children were not allowed to do so. To make things more difficult Reverend Mircse went back to Hungary. All this, and the war didn’t put a damper on the congregation’s growth and expansion. Plans were being drawn up to build a new church. They also gave a $500 loan to the church in Philadelphia. In 1917 the mortgage was paid up. Church elders, or probably founders around WWl. Rev. Komjáthy with the Youth of the church in 1922. On the evening of New Year’s Day, 1923, Reverend Böszörményi gave his first sermon, and two years later he was employed as assistant minister, and was also ordained. The size of the congregation could be indicated by the number of children at the church. Summer school, and also Sunday school, had around 250 children, and in 1926 there were 42 confirmands. On every Sunday 23 teachers were educating the children. The necessity of a new church seemed to become a reality. As a first step, a “Basement Church” was built with the idea that in the next phase the building would be raised on the foundation. This task was left to Reverend Stephen M. Boszormenyi-Bessemer who married Lilla Böszörményi and was elected to succeed his father-in-law as pastor. Unfortunately the ground at the Basement Church proved to be too weak to carry the size of the planned building. During WW II, despite all the efforts, Reverend Böszörményi put into it, the erection of a new building was out of sight, delayed by the War Production Board. After the war with renewed enthusiasm the congregation started to work on a building suitable to house the large number of parishioners. They purchased the Goodrich property on the comer of North and Laurel Avenues. The original house, what later became the parsonage, was moved from North Avenue to the back of the property and turned facing Laurel Avenue. Tlie ground-breaking ceremony took place on August 5,1956, and a year later, on December 8, the new church was dedicated. We find out that 200 members of this church served in the United States military during the war. We also find out that for some unknown reason only 50 children attended Summer School, but Sunday School in the next years was thriving with over 150 children. Reverend Böszörményi saw the need to have more space for the education of the youth. Despite the economical situation, he convinced the congregation to purchase and renovate the house next to the church. In 1960 it was dedicated as the new school building. Five years later with the decreasing mortgage and the increasing pledges the congregation took another step and started working on the new building — what is now known as the Bessemer Center. First Chief Elder, John Szabó, and the present one, Joseph Pontban page 4
