The Eighth Tribe, 1976 (3. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1976-11-01 / 11. szám
Page 8 THE EIGHTH TRIBE November, 1976 Pastor retires after a long distinguished service in Hazelwood, Pa. Rev. Dismachek Father Dismachek has retired after 42 years of distinguished service as Pastor of St. Ann Hungarian Church of Hazelwood. The Reverend Francis M. Dismachek, son of Julius and Christine (Zarnoczky) Dismachek, was bom in Duquesne, Pa., on September 4, 1906. He is the youngest of seven children. He and an older brother, James, who lives in Duquesne, Pa., are the only survivors. He is the only one in the family born in this country. His parents came from Erdély (Hunyad m.), having immigrated to this country in 1905. His primary schooling was at Saint Joseph’s, Duquesne, Pa., his secondary and priestly education at the Pontifical Seminary Josephinum, then located at Columbus, Ohio. As a college student he took part in a pilgrimage to Rome in the 1925 Holy Year. This included a brief visit to Hungary and to Erdély; this was the first time Father set feet on Hungarian soil. His ordination was at the hands of Bishop James J. Hartley of Columbus on May 26, 1934. Soon after he was sent as assistant pastor to Saint Ann’s Hungarian Church, Hazelwood. With the permission of his Bishop and upon the invitation of Bishop Louis Shvoy of Székesfehérvár, Hungary, he journeyed to that country (August, 1939) with the intention of Cardinal Mindszenty’s visit. staying there two years in order to acquire a more correct command of the Hungarian language. Bishop Shvoy gave him an assignment as assistant in the catholic parish in the town of Polgárdi, not far from the Balaton. Because of World War II, his stay was shortened to four months. Shortly after his return to Saint Ann’s, the then pastor, Dr. Nicholas Komlossy, passed away. Bishop Boyle made Father administrator of the parish and five years later he was made full pastor. Father Dismachek was instrumental in helping many refugees after the Freedom Fight of 1956, under the auspices of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Father always insisted on retaining the Magyar identity of Saint Ann’s parish even though there would have been material advantages in de-emphasizing this aspect. He always maintained an attitude of fraternal respect and cooperation with fellow Hungarians of other faiths, anticipating by many years the present policy of ecumenism. He always disliked attention aimed at him personally and always shunned the “limelight”. His decision to retire was prompted by his conviction that the parish needs new and younger leadership, and through his efforts, with a great deal of help from Cardinal Mindszenty, such became available in the person of Father Paul Bolváry. O.S.P. If retirement would have meant discontinuance of the parish or giving it over to a non-Hungarian pastor, Father says he would have chosen to die there. Father Bolváry
