Magyar News, 2004. szeptember-2005. augusztus (15. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2005-04-01 / 8. szám
The Hungarian “Szent Mikulás” Visits the Byzantine Greek Catholic Church by Oliver Valu A little history is in order for our worthy readers. The Hungarian founders of the church, united by their common hertiage, organized in 1894 and made a chapellater that same year .In 1897 , the Holy Trinity Hungarian Greek Catholic Church building was erected on Bostwick Avenue. The parish grew and in 1912, a religious and Hungarian language school was started. In 1925, a social and cultural center was built on Pine Street. It had an auditorium, a kitchen, and even a bowling alley! The Hungarian life thrived at the social hall. This was the center for a Youth Circle, dancing, plays, and a variety of social activities. There were several different church groups as well. In 1956, a new church was built on Scofield Avenue for the growing Hungarian Byzantine Catholic parish. A social hall was finished in 1959. Holy Trinity celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1994! Congratulations and we look forward to the next 100 years! I know the founders of this wonderful church would be content to see that their great gift of unselfishness, which they sacrificed so much by their hard work to carefully build up, was appreciated and deeply charished by the dear future generations with true gratefulness and profound thanks. May we follow the founders' creative spirit, Saint Nicholas' good example, and ultimately Our Father's guiding wisdom and it is my sincere hope that we might all learn from them very much indeed. On Dec. Sth St. Nicholas Day Eve, the good folks at Holy Trinity Byzantine Magyar Catholic Church threw a dinner in honor of the kindly saint and were rewarded by a big surprise visit. The special guest appearance was by...and but who else ? It was none other than the good bishop St. Nick himself. He was dressed in a very elegant eastern-style robe and hat and he was quite regal-looking indeed. Our beloved winter visitor entered the great hall accompanied by the parish priest and he made his way down the center of the hall toward a stage adorned lovingly by the parishioners with beautiful Christmas tree and scores of colorfully-wrapped presents. As he walked down the aisle, he repeatedly blessed the excited children and guests on either side by making the sign of the cross in the Spirit of Christ as he went. The excitement and joy was unbelievable and uncontainable with lovely Christmas carols being sung, with some even in Hungarian, by all those present in the hall. The carols helped to remind that Jesus is the Reason for the Season. The terrific songs includedreligious hymns as Jesus came from Heaven, Angels from Heaven, Heaven and Earth, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, also more general ones as We wish you a Merry Christmas, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells, Joy to the World. There was sung a Hymn to St. Nicholas Oh who loves N icholas the saintly. Oh who serves: Nicholas the saintly. Him will N icholas receive And give help in time of need. Holy Father, Nicholas. In Hungarian Szent Miklós tiszteletere O, aki Szén t Miklóst szereti, Es aki híven szolgai neki, Azt barmikor megsegíti Vedelmeben részesíti Szent Miklós, Szent Miklós The children enjoyed the Hungarian “Szent Mikulás ” day with the Christmas tree and presents Page 4 Above: The Byzantine Greek Catholic Church in Bridgeport. On the right the interior of the church. On the bottom right the heritage room with the Hungarian history of the church
