The Bethlen Home Messenger, 2002 (1-4. szám)
2002-11-01 / 4. szám
<A.cttfrtig Ptgl|ltgí|ts Benefit Societies sprang up, every illness and every death was not only emotional, but also a financial devastation for the immigrant families. It is said that the immigrants came to America, thinking that the streets were paved with gold. That is not true. These people came with hearts filled with hope that God was with them. They had also heard about the great freedom and equality that could be theirs as citizens of this great land, and hoped for a bright and assured future for their future generations. There was a great and noble pastor, named Rev. John Prugh. His Church became known as the "All Nation's Church". He allowed every ethnic group to hold their services in his Church. The Hungarians already had a congregation in 1889, with no Church and no charter, only the desire and determination to worship God in their own language, and in their own Church. Rev. Prugh petitioned the Home Mission and his own congregation for funds, Andrew Hornyak collected from his hopeful countrymen, and the little wooden Church on Bates Street was built. There was also a Protestant Slovak group, most of whom lived in Braddock, who joined with the Hungarians in the desire to worship God in their own language. They contributed as generously as did the Hungarians toward building the little Church. None of them seemed to realize how soon their very own house of God would be too small for all the devout, humble people who came from far and near to worship Him. The little wooden Church on Bates Street became the First Hungarian and Slovak Reformed and Evangelical Church of Pittsburgh, PA on April 6, 1890. So says the charter in the big safe in the Church basement of the present Church on Johnston Avenue. The news that there was now a Hungarian Church, spread all over western Pennsylvania. Rev. Pugh and Andrew Hornyak, who by that time had been elected Chief Elder of the congregation, petitioned the Reformed Church of Hungary to please send a minister to tend to the spiritual needs of a fast growing congregation. Our Apa (Father) told us about the first Pentecost in the little wooden Church. The holiday comes when the weather is warm. There was a network of trolley lines all over Western Pennsylvania, and many railroad lines. That Pentecost Sunday, there was a long line on Bates Street waiting patiently for their turn to get into the little Church to receive Holy Communion. Every man and woman received the sacraments, whether Protestant, Roman Catholic, Lutheran or Byzantine. No questions were asked. The women had baked pastries and served tea and cakes to all. This started a custom in this, the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Pittsburgh, that is still in practice to this day. Tea, coffee and cake between the English and Hungarian services every Sunday. The faithful came from the mining towns, from Homestead, McKeesport, Duquesne and Braddock. Those who worked on the railroads came from as far away as Ohio, and West Virginia. It was a great day! When the Church leaders saw the great outpouring of faith by their fellow countrymen, they knew then that there was a great need for a bigger Church. The ones who stood in line for the sacraments realized that they needed a Church of their own, back in their home communities, and that, over time, happened. Hungarian Reformed Churches and Hungarian Roman Catholic Churches were built in Ohio, Connecticut, New Jersey, Michigan and all over Pennsylvania, whereever there was a settlement of Hungarians. The little wooden Church on Bates Street has gone down in history as the very first Hungarian Reformed Church outside the historic boundaries of Hungary. We have written at length about the devotions to their Faith of the Hungarian immigrants. Very soon Homestead, McKeesport, Duquesne, and Rankin all had Hungarian Reformed Churches. All the humble immigrants who came to our country came with a deep and abiding faith in God. That is what gave them the strength to come to a strange land and endure what they had to face, so that their children could grow up and live in this, the greatest of all the countries of the world. Let their descendants look back at them with love...~ Julianna DeTilla's essay will continue in the next issue of "The Messenger".
