Magyar News, 2000. szeptember-2001. augusztus (11. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2000-11-01 / 3. szám

the Fairfield Board of Education granted the church permission to use the old Holland Hill school building for Sunday School classes and church services. A wooden chapel was erected by the Mission Board of the Reformed Church in which services were held for the first time on November 15th, 1925. The congregation increased continuously membership of 100 adults and with a Sun-day School enrollment of 106. A meeting to formally organize the Fairfield Magyar (Hungarian) Reformed Church was held on November 21st, 1926, when Rev. Joseph Urban was elected the first minister of the church. There were 120 organizing members and a charter was granted by the headquarters of the Reformed Church in the United States. Under the able leadership of the Rev. Urban a Christian Education Building, named Calvin Hall, was erected and then dedicated on June 14, 1931. On November

20,1949, after 24 years, services were held for the last time in the little white chapel on King's Highway. The building was dismantled and removed to Warrenville, CT to house another congregation.

The dedication of the new $120,000 church building took place one year later on November 19, 1950. The church is of modern classic design incorporating early American form and traditional Hungarian elements which are taken from historically famous Hungarian churches. The church has a tower and spire which expresses early American architecture. The exterior design incorporates exceptional refinement of light face brick masonry with mosaic and conventional brick mortar jointing, carved and molded stone work of light color limestone and a slate roof. The interior design is also modem classic incorporating early American colonial form. The windows are leaded

and fired, with brilliant hand blown glass. The seating capacity of the church is 280, with a balcony that holds an additional 50 people. The lower level has classrooms, a parlor for meetings, an administration office, and a small kitchenette. The church became known as Calvin United Church of Christ in 1964.

Rev. Joseph Urban served as minister of the Church from 1926 to 1935. He was succeeded by Rev. Anthony Peter 1935- 1948, Rev. Alexander Babos 1949-1960, Rev. Dr. Alexander Havadtoy 1960-1993, and the Rt. Rev. Bela Poznan, the current pastor since 1994. The church is looking forward with great anticipation to the future, knowing that the congregation, located in a flourishing community, will grow and bring forth many fruits for the glory of God.

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by Dr. Sándor Balogh

)

Just a few months before his death, Cardinal John O'Connor of New York decided to honor Saint Emery of Hungary as America's namegiver on his feast day .

On December 2, 1999 the Cardinal wrote to the Reverend Ivan Csete, a priest in his Archdiocese that he will "set aside 5 November (a day in which no other saint is honored in the US) as feast day for Saint Emery." The Cardinal appointed Father Csete as one of the two auxiliary bishops

of this proud day. Fr. Csete in turn appointed the President of the National Federation of Americans (NAFH) Dr. Sándor Balogh to coordinate the event. NFAH’s Board of Directors accepted the challenge and will participate in planning and carrying out this milestone event with the expected help from other Hungarian organizations and churches.

How did this come to be?

According to credible evidence, Amerigo Vespucci's father named his third son Amerigo, after Saint Emericus of Hungary.

During the 1960's one of the most important was published by Monsignor George Papp of Hamilton, Ontario. The Monsignor’s article included photos of the painting over the altar of a chapel outside Florence, where Vespucci was bom, with "Amerigo D'Ungheria," dated 1391. This shows that St. Emery was known at the time of Vespucci in the region. He was considered the patron saint of Europe's youth during the Middle Ages.

Then in 1980 the Rev. Klarkowski of Chicago sent in an item that was published in “RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT.” There was a drawing of Emery with the prince's crown, and the text: "The

Hungarian Prince who gave America its name... "

It was this item that started the author of this article to campaign for the official recognition of Emery as the namegiver of the new Continent and the United States of America. His article appeared as "Happy Name Day America" in the November 1981 issue of the ethnic AMERICAN HERITAGE NEWS. The article points out that Saint Emery could serve as an ideal hero of the American youth as he had served as the model of the European youth throughout the Middle Ages, since it is hard for the youth of America to find suitable heros to whom they could look up to today.

In response to this article he received other articles, pictures and suggestions. There was even a petition drive, collecting hundreds of signatures. Yet, it took almost two decades to get here, but the first hurdle has been passed, and the late Cardinal directed his Vicar Generals to make the necessary arrangements.

It is now up to the Hungarian community to make this day, the first officially recognized Feast Day of America, a truly remarkable, millennium event.

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