The Eighth Hungarian Tribe, 1984 (11. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1984-09-01 / 9. szám
GALÉRIA HUNGARICA The Monastery of the Basilian Fathers of Mariapocs at Matawan, New Jersey: ANOTHER MIRACLE OF “THE WEEPING MOTHER OF MARIAPOCS”? — by — Paul Pulitzer Many miracles attributable to the intercession of the “weeping icon” of the Mother of God housed in a Byzantine Rite Catholic Church at Mariapocs in Szabolcs County, Hungary, have been investigated and authenticated by both civil and ecclesiastical authorities. Perhaps, the magnificent Monastery of the Basilian Fathers of Mariapocs at Matawan, New Jersey, which was founded more than 20 years ago in a 125-year-old farmhouse, is another miracle traceable back to “The Weeping Mother of Mariapocs”, because the three Basilian Fathers from Hungary, who spearheaded its establishment, had nothing to depend upon when they started except their Faith and their deeply rooted desire to work in honor of the Blessed Mother of God to whose patronage King Stephen had dedicated his Crown, his Apostolic Cross, his realm, and his people in 1038 A.D. The three devoted priests were Father Stephen J. Skinta, Father Joseph J. Erdei, and Father Basil M. Rakaczky. Father Rakaczky was the first Superior and resident of the monastery. Since 1971, Father Erdei has been the Superior of what is today a multi-million-dollar, religious facility of the Order of St. Basil the Great, who have been, and still are, the guardians of the Shrine of Mariapocs in Hungary. HISTORICAL LINKAGE BETWEEN MATAWAN AND MARIAPOCS The historical linkage between the Monastery of the Basilian Fathers of Mariapocs at Matawan, New Jersey, and the “Shrine of Mariapocs” in Hungary, dates back to 1646, when the icon of the Virgin Mary in a Byzantine Rite Catholic Church in the small village of Klokocso in Zemplen County, Hungary, miraculously wept. When Prince György Rakoczy was informed about this fniracle, he ordered the Jesuits priests of Kassa to examine the icon, to paint a replica of it for the little church, and to bring the original to him at Borsi. When the original icon was delivered to him, he and his entourage formed a procession and carried it to his stronghold at Munkács. There, he placed the miraculous icon of Klokocso in his chapel. Where it is today, is uncertain. So is the repository of the copy of the original icon he had ordered made as its replacement in the church at Klokocso. But even though the original “weeping icon” had been spirited away by Prince Rakoczy and a copy of it was substituted to appease the villagers of Klokocso, it did not mean that the Mother of God would no longer make Her presence known to the people of Hungary! THE LITTLE CHURCH IN POCS While Prince Rakoczy was engaged in usurping possession of the Mariapocs icon of Klokosco, the faithful of the Byzantine Rite in the village of Poes in Szabolcs County had built for themselves a little wooden church in which the Reverend Daniel Papp conducted divine services for them. His brother, Stephen, who had studied Art under the tutelage of an Italian Master, was commissioned by a László Csigri to paint an icon of the Holy Mother of God to be hung in the new church. However, when Csigri defaulted on payment for the work, a Page 10 Father Stephen J. Skinta leads the prayerful procession on the memorable occasion of the late Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty’s visit to the Monastery of the Basilian Fathers of Mariapocs at Matawan, New Jersey. Lorincz Hurta paid tor it and donated the work to the church. Then, on November 4, 1696, while the people of Hungary were being oppressed and “Germanized” by the Austrian Emperor and Apostolic King of Hungary, Leopold I, the icon began to weep and continued to shed tears for two weeks! It also wept from December 8 to the 19th. When the Austrian Emperor and Apostolic King of Hungary heard about the miracle which occurred in Poes, another village owned by Prince Rakoczy, he had the weeping icon examined and authenticated by civil and ecclesiastical authorities. He then issued orders that it be brought to Vienna. This task was assigned to Count Andrew John Corbelli, a Chamberlain of the Austrian Court and a Colonel in the Austro-Hungarian army, who was also an eye-witness to the miracle of the weeping icon. A second usurpation had begun! The Assumption Center of the monastery in which various functions are held. It was dedicated on July 22, 1973. September, 1984
