The Eighth Tribe, 1976 (3. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1976-11-01 / 11. szám
Page 4 THE EIGHTH TRIBE November, 1976 DEDICATION OF THE STATUE OF JÓZSEF CARDINAL MINSZENTY UNVEILING CEREMONY — SUNDAY, SEPT. 26, 1976 ST. LADISLAUS CHURCH Mindszenty Square at Somerset Street New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.A. Envisioning the idea and commissioning the plan for a sculpted work as a tribute to the memory of József Cardinal Mindszenty came about as a result of the endeavors of Reverend Julian Füzér, O.F.M., Ph.D., St. Ladislaus Church, together with an Organizational Committee (Chairpersons Emma J. Deutsch, Lajos Hajdu-Nemeth, Sr., and William Kukor; Dorothy Bácsik, Secretary, and Dr. John J. Mayernik, Treasurer), who converted a dream into becoming reality! The ceremony began at 4:00 p.m. with Stephen Vajtay as Master of Ceremonies, program under direction of Julius Belső; musical accompaniment provided by Professor Kalman Inczedy and Sr. M. Blanche, F.D.C., together with The Imperial Band of South River. Invocation was given by the Most Rev. Bishop Zoltán Beky, D.D., of the Hungarian Federation of America, Washington, D.C., following which the crowd of about a thousand persons sang the American anthem. Mayor Richard J. Mulligan of the city of New Brunswick, N.J., extended warm greetings, after which Eleanor Schlafly, Executive Director of the Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation, addressed the throng, giving her reflections about previously having met His Eminence, Mindszenty, in Vienna, as well as describing his inspirational, charismatic manner, and penetrating visual and verbal communication. The Honorable Brendan J. Byrne, Governor of New Jersey, commented about his own recollection of the visit several years ago made by the Cardinal, whose book was personally inscribed for the Governor’s library and which had deeply impressed him in its content material as well as the forthright title: MINDSZENTY (that is, being captioned only by one word I one man)! However, much more than that can be said: The Hungarian translation of “Mindszenty” is most meaningful, too—that is, “Of Wholly Holiness,” from which phrase much can be inferred relatedly to the Cardinal’s personal background of enduring years of isolation, exile, restraint, and martyrdom. The Governor also mentioned that the Prelate had been especially kind to take the time during his previous trip to bestow blessings on the Byrne children, which act will remain clearly imprinted in their memories. During the dramatic unveiling of the sculpted representation of the Cardinal (which is considered to be the first in this eastern area of the U. S.,) the Hungarian anthem was sung by the choir and public together with musical accompaniment, while the various flagbearers dipped their emblematic colors in reverential regard to the memory of József Mindszenty. As for a description of the statue itself, done by Ferenc Varga of Delray Beach, Fla., the taller-than-life threedimensional figure depicts the Cardinal pointing his right index finger directly ahead of himself, while the left hand encircles an upright guiding staff (even taller than his high headpiece), appears altogether significant to the paramount qualities Mindszenty stood for in life and which his statue symbolizes after death—that is, of his leadership, courage, and perseverance—now enduringly enshrined on a spot where he had stood once before, adjacent to a befriending St. Ladislaus Church and community members. Immediately afterward in the statue dedication program the direct blessing of the sculpted work was performed by The Most Reverend George W. Ahr, S.T.D., Bishop of Trenton. Wreaths, in portrayal of the Hungarian national colors, among other symbolic hues, were placed by the St. Ladislaus Council President and Vice President, as well as its school children and Hungarian scouts. Formal introduction and acknowledgment of the humbly impressive sculptor, Ferenc Varga together with his son, Frank, who assisted with the base, was done fittingly by Joseph J. Staudt. Resounding acclaim proceeded from the crowd in recognition of the immortalized tribute by way of the permanized work of art sculpted with evident mastery, of the inanimate symbol, plus devotion to the animate Mindszenty—AS Man, Martyr, Mentor, Missionary, Preceptor, and Primate—FOR Magyars, Homeland, Freedom, Autonomy, Self-determination, and Providence! The image evokes thoughts about the Cardinal himself as a devoted master of religiosity, humanity, morality, tenacity, and sovereign integrity. One can surmise that in the Cardinal’s fervent upholding of higher principles toward the causes of individual and cultural independence, the likeness appears to portray the embodiment of many personifications: For instance, Moses leading the Exodus out of Egyptian bondage; Christ pointing out the forward direction to followers, as when saying “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6); the Shepherd guiding his flocks; Martin Luther King, Jr., the Black leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner for nonviolent racial equality stating “I have a dream” envisioned for the future; and even perhaps relating to the final judgment of the world’s inhabitants by a Prime Designator. The hands of the statue seem to call forth deliberate attention and even the emphasis of the fingers seem to denote action in thought, motion, or communication; the left hand is holding onto a great staff (perhaps analogus metaphorically to a “staff of life”) that helps in proceeding onward (i.e., one foot partly showing, the other covered by his long accoutrements), as if to probe the path safely and assuredly. The upper curvature of the hooked staff is in readied position to facilitate in helping to save the submerged, the entrapped, and the separated, for return to the closely attended and dearly beloved compatriots of God’s protective fold. The bronze tone of the entire statue would seem to allude to an earthy totality of countenance plus accoutrements, as in over-all oneness with the created being and his Eminence’s station in life—all warmly blending, yet easily distinguishable between clothing as well as visible hands and visage. The statue’s face is slightly full, but lined, which contrasts somewhat with the smoothly tapered miter atop the Cardinal’s forehead. The impressed design of his surplice appears as beautifully brocaded or embroidered needlework but also seems to focus interest toward the over-all symbolic motif and appears to be a most effective simulation of creative needlework in Hungarian artistry, not only perhaps to the original embellishment of the more flexible basis of cloth, but also to this recreator’s talented work in the firmer medium of the statue itself. The varied design, both front and back, contains the semblance of intertwining symbols of the Hungarian Heartland, somewhat similar perhaps as that which had been made to adorn Cardinal Mindszenty previously in life. The approximate over-all size of the figure is 8% feet, mounted on about a
