Bethlen Almanac 1997 (Ligonier)

Kálvin Egyházkerület

as they had free time to work. On May 8, 1932 the Consistory empowered the Presbyters and the minister, Rev. Alexander Mircse, to make calls: from the employers at the idle industries, to request donated man-hours; from the unemployed, donated work; from idle trucking firms, donated use of their trucks; from idle teamsters, their skills; from idle industry, some of their building materials, or their oil, or their gas.

And things began to happen. On June 5, the Consistory met again, and among other things, learned the following: church members had promised 400 days labor; the bricklayer’s union promised to help; $350.00 had been pledged; local industry promised assistance with necessary building materials; the oil companies promised several hundred gallons of oil and gasoline; the Ladies Aid set aside $900.00; and a $1,000.00 loan was secured. The Ladies Aid, meeting at the same time, upon hearing of the excellent progress, pledged another $850.00 by July 1!

Formal ground-breaking ceremonies were held on June 26, actual excavation began on June 27 with seven men (the minister included) doing the digging. By early July, the Ladies began cooking for the workers; money and materials from the Detroit Hungarian Reformed Church were received as well as a railroad car full of crushed rock from the former mayor of East Chicago. The foundation was poured by August 1, then the real work started. Two members promised they “will supply bricklayers and oversee entire construction of the mason work.” Beginning August 1, bricklayers came everyday, between 5 and 15, working so fast that as many as 30 men were needed to keep them supplied with materials. Among those named in the early records as having given of their invaluable time were many Hungarians and non-Hungarians.

The women of the church cooked daily for from 15 to 45 people, using much donated food and monies for that purpose, donated by the Hungarian Reformed Church of Whiting, several fraternal organizations including the predecessors of the William Penn and the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, and the Hungarian Reformed Church of Joliet.

Labor Day - September 5, 1932 - saw the laying of the cornerstone, followed by - and celebrated by - an all-day dance and picnic. This seemed to give new strength to the workers. By September 17, the walls were completed, the flag was hoisted to the top of the tower, and again a dinner and celebration. Now the work of putting on the roof began, and was finished by the middle of November.

With the roof being finished, interior work needed to be finished and furnishings secured. To this end the Chicago Southside Congregation and Ladies Aid donated the Lord’s Table. And on Thanksgiving Day, 1932,

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