Calvin Synod Herald, 1974 (74. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1974-10-01 / 10-11. szám
6 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD God told him to leave home and go far away to another land, not even knowing where, he obeyed and went. Together with his beloved wife and faithful companion, he lived in the tents of Pocahontas, Columbus, and Wallingford. As Paul before him, he was a tentmaker, earning his living in the servanthood and ministry of the church. His training in the two great halls of learning, Sárospatak and Debrecen, qualified him to the high places of human endeavor and enterprise, yet he chose to obey God and live as a mere visitor, confident that God would set before him “the heavenly city whose designer and builder is God.” His only passion and commitment was to serve Jesus Christ and his Church. This was his life and vocation. In his heart and soul he knew and confessed that he was bom and created to serve and glorify God. He accepted without reservation the task God placed before him. Althlough his spiritual and intellectual resources and capability fitted him to serve in large and sophisticated parishes, yet he chose to serve faithfully and well in smaller congregations because he was greatly persuaded that the small church needed the preaching of God’s Word no less than the great congregations of the Kingdom. His passion was to lift man to the spiritual greatness for which he was created. With gladness and obedience he accepted the tasks God placed before him. From the coal mines of Virginia to to the peace and beauty of New England, he never faltered in his work and faith, his ministry, or his witness. Throughout his life he was blessed with the love and help of his beloved wife. In all things and in all places she stood by him with faithfulness and love. In the service of the Lord they became one in body, in spirit, and in soul. Joseph Marsalko served not only the local church but he served the ecumenical church as well. Our Calvin Synod as well as our Eastern Classis will long remember his good offices as he served with honor and distinction as Treasurer and General Secretary of Synod. His counsel, his wisdom, his dedication will be sorely missed by all! When he felt that a great cause or principle needed to be espoused, he stood his ground fearlessly and with holy abandonment. His openness, his honesty, his trustworthiness and his humbleness commanded the respect and admiration of all who knew him. This congregation, our Calvin Synod, and the Eastern Classis will long remember him as a strong and staunch adherent of our Reformed Faith and our Calvinistic way of life. In the crucible of secular and social change in both church and society he defended his flock from the political and pagan influences of the times. And when the time of testing came he was not found wanting. The place left vacant by the untimely death of Joseph Marsalko will not be filled easily. Yet we rejoice that his days of waiting are over and that God has received him to the heavenly city whose designer and builder is God. With gratefulness and appreciation we thank God for the life and the work of “tiszteletes and tudós” the reverend and scholarly Joseph Marsalko. The glory belongs to God alone! HAJMASSY ILONA ILONA MASSEY DAWSON, Budapest born, internationally known actress of screen, stage and TV, died August 20, 1974 in Washington, D. C. The wife of well-known WDC attorney, Gen. Donald Dawson (USAF, Retired), was cremated after private services at Gawler’s Chapel (WDC) conducted by the Rev. Mr. Stephen Sziarto, on August 21, 1974. A memorial service was held at the WDC National Presbyterian Center on Sunday, August 25, 1974, which was attended by more than 1,000 persons. Participants in the memorial service were the Rt. Rev. Zoltán Beky of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America (WDC); Mrs. Maria Gyorik of the Hungarian Freedom Fighters Federation; Mrs. Mary Roebling of Trenton, N. J., and the Rev. Sziarto of Washington, D. C. * Thoughts Expressed at the Private Funeral of Ilona Massey Dawson, in Washington, D.C., August 21, 1974, by Rev. Stephen Sziarto Years ago my father-in-law gave me his die-maker’s toolbox and among the fine tools therein is a piano wire. It’s been laying there for years. A very fine piano wire of no value laying there in a toolbox. In our living room my wife’s grand piano has many fine wires. One of them surely matches the wire in the tool box. One wire lays dormant, the other wire vibrates to bring forth music. The wire in the grand piano is fastened to two terminals. It is adjusted; it is tuned; it can be made to vibrate—to produce good music. Our beloved and lovely Ilona was that fine wire that found its terminals in God and man. She lost not her touch with God, whom she knew to be the source of her talents and her spiritual treasures. She failed not in keeping in touch with mankind and thus she failed not in sharing her talents and treasures with us. She willingly and thoughtfully gave us of her complete self in order to add beauty and abundance to our lives. She gave because she knew that giving was living. I join thousands and thousands around the world in thanking God for giving us the lovely and beloved Ilona; in thanking her for setting an example for us to follow . . . and in thanking our bereaved—and her beloved—Gen. Donald Dawson for joining her in marriage and continued service to his fellowmen. God grant that her selfless service will not fade from our memory—and that selfless service may glorify us all. Amen.
