Magyar News, 1997. szeptember-1998. augusztus (8. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1998-03-01 / 7. szám
E 1 1 1 1 1 odnm /uyme in deciy oneá: W/b_, /ba^v/vy and /wiyAtf (ddTiewe fienfectyoy and /beauty odn dwJ eiiendbUiny liyAl. E HARD TO SAY 'Good-bye' Tt was a sad event. It wasn’t celebrating somebody’s life. It was stunning, it was a shock. People were speechless, nobody wanted to let go. They came from near and far to see the unbelieveable. It happened so fast, in a short few weeks. Father Robert Nemeth was among us, and before one turned around he was with his maker. Only a few were privilaged to be part of his last days. But we all were blessed by knowing him, for the past twenty years as pastor of St. Emery’s R.C. Church, in Fairfield, CT. People say he was bom to be a priest. Looking at his life stretching back to his childhood we have to rephrase this; he was bom a priest. He started practicing his “calling” at a very early age. As his brothers remember playing together he set up an altar, organized other children as attendants, and he would be the priest, doing this instead of playing house. Joining in with the others in a more physical play, he chose his own role as a flying priest instead of Batman or Robin. Then and from there on, even in very diverse circumstances he was always clear about the road he was to take. Just as he radiated his commitment among the children, he did the same in later years with the grown-ups. He brought religion into such closeness to our human existance that it overpowered any other experience. The undivided love for Jesus Christ, for his God, spread out beyond his confines and filled everybody he touched. His prayers, homilies and speeches opened roads connecting our everyday life to a higher level of fulfillment. He knew, touched and helped forward people of uncountable scope. It never mattered who the person was, what he did, where he came from, they were all treated the same. Meeting him, let it be many times, it always was filled with enthusiasm, it was like the greatest thing to happen. He placed everybody on a pedestal evoking a feeling in the individual that he or she was the most important creation in the world. He knew who the spouse was, what the children were doing, all the little and huge problems with which they were preoccupied. Father Robert went out of his way to help people overcome hardships.. Father Robert was more than the pastor of his church, his congregation; he was the pastor of our whole community. He never said no to any extra task to serve people with spiritual guidance. We lost him, and there always will be a void that was filled by him. As much as one could do, there is no way to pass on our experience to the next generation. All we can secure is the cleanliness of our spirit and our deeds to help mankind live up to the level to which Father Robert Nemeth was leading us. It is hard to say good-bye. Joseph F. Balogh Page 3
