Calvin Synod Herald, 1985 (85. évfolyam, 1-5. szám)

1985-04-01 / 2. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

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REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

Rev. Eugene Szabó at Norwalk, Ct.

Rev. Eugene Szabó who had left his church at Phoenixville, PA in February will likely continue his long list of accomplishments in a new position as pastor of the Hungarian Reformed Church in South Norwalk, Conn.

After making the “difficult decision” to resign his pastorate in Phoenixville, where he has served since 1978, Rev. Szabó said he is looking forward to pastoring the congregation in Connecticut, which has hopes of building a new church under his leadership.

“I have to be moving and doing,” he explained, noting that he needed a new challenge.

Rev. Szabó has certainly done a lot of moving in his lifetime, which began with his birth in Czechoslovakia of Hungarian parents. His parents moved to the United States when he was 11 months old and settled in Passaic, N.J. The family also included Irene, Rev. Szabo’s sister, who still resides in New Jersey.

His parents both worked in factories and the children attended school in the Passaic area. Rev. Szabó spent his junior year of high school at Bloomfield Academy in New Jersey, a Presbyterian school where he began studying for the ministry.

It was at Elmhurst College in Illinois that Rev. Szabó met his future wife, Dolores or “Dolly,” whom he married in 1952. During his time in college he preached in a small Hungarian church and also officiated at basketball games.

After his graduation from college, Rev. Szabó attended Eden Theological Seminary near St Louis, Mo., from which he graduated in 1953.

His first pastorate was at the Hungarian Reformed Church in Johnstown, where he instituted English services and did broadcasts for “Voice of America” to Hungary.

Rev. Szabó then ministered to a church in Port Washington, Ohio, fora short time before joining the Air Force as a chaplain in 1956. In 1955, he received his U.S. citizenship papers after a long process including much red tape.

His first duty assignment was at Lake Charles Air Force Base in Louisiana. He was then sent to Goosebay, Labrador, during the Hungarian Revolution where he interviewed some 3,000 incoming Hungarian refugees, a service for which he was later honored.

Several of the refugees aided by Rev. Szabó returned to Lake Charles Air Force Base. Rev. Szabó helped one of the refugees, who had held a prestigious position in Hungary’s govern-THE PERFECT CHURCH

I think that I shall never see A church that 's all it ought to be!

A church whose members never stray Beyond the straight and narrow way.

4 church that has no empty pews.

Whose pastor never has the blues!

A church whose deacons always seek And none are proud, and all are meek Where gossips never peddle lies, or make Complaints, or criticize.

Where all are always meek and kind — and All to other’s faults are blind.

Such perfect churches there may be —

But none of them are known to me.

But still I’ll work and pray and plan To make our own the best I can!

Author unknown

ment, get a job and the man is now a professor at West Virginia University.

In 1957, Rev. Szabó served with the 68th Bomb Wing in England and also had an audience with Pope Pius XII that year.. In 1958, he was chosen a recipient of the Four Chaplains Award from B’nai B’rith in a lavish ceremony at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. He was also named Outstanding Air Force Chaplain of the Year in 1958.

His next assignment took him to Clark Field in the Philippines in 1959 as chaplain of the 405th Fighter Wing. Among his accomplishments there was running a Sunday school for 1,000 children and holding a Christmas party for poor Philippine children, mostly Catholic.

In addition, Rev. Szabó spent many hours trying to help the homeless and needy after the worst floods in the history of the islands hit. He also served as master of ceremonies during two telethons for the National Health Agencies and set a record during the second telethon by raising $39,000 in 40 hours.

For his accomplishments during the flood. Rev. Szabó received a citation from the President of the Philippines. He also won his first of three commendation ribbons from the Air Force for his service at Clark Field.

When he returned to the U.S. in 1962, Rev. Szabó served as chaplain at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico and had earned the rank of captain. In that year, his fourth chil,d Steven, was born and he began to think about leaving the Air Force.

“I started to think I would be sent to an isolated base and, since 1 loved my family, I decided to leave,” he explained.

While he left fulltime service in the Air Force, Rev Szabó remained in the Air Force Reserve, serving parttime. He retired four years ago with 20 years of service as a liutenant colonel.

It was at this time in his life that the minister also contemplated leaving the ministry and taking a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Rev. Szabó had contacted a friend who was the head of the Hungarian Division of the FBI and he was accepted as a special agent for the FBI. However, his wife disapproved and he never reported for Special Agent School.

Instead, Rev. Szabó became pastor of the Hungarian United Church of Christ in Lorain, Ohio. He became active in sports and joined the 40-member choir in a trip to Washington, D.C., for the dedication of a new building of a Hungarian fraternal insurance organization.

In 1965, Rev. Szabó began what was to be his longest period of pastoring at a single church at West Park Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Cleveland,

The church had 750 members when he arrived and when he left in 1978, the church had added 300 new members.

Among his accomplishments over his 13 years as pastor were a $90,000 renovation of the educational building, the aquistion of a new pipe organ purchased with donated funds and many others. Rev. Szabó was also active in the Kiwanis Club and was on the board of the Fairview General Hospital, near his Fairview Park suburban home.

While the Szabos could have stayed in Ohio,

which had become their home, Rev. Szabó chose to leave after his parents both died of cancer 2/j years apart leaving his sister, Irene, who had cared for them, alone in New Jersey.

One of his reasons for choosing to come to Phoenixville was “to get closer to my sister,” he commented. Over the past six years, he and his youngest son, Steve, have helped her with painting her house, fixing her driveway and other chores as a way of showing appreciation for the years she spent caring for their parents. In addition, the Szabó family spends each New Year’s Eve with Irene.

The Szabos spend as much time as possible with their four children who are spread out in different parts of the country, with one daughter living in Norway.

Besides Steve, who attends Cleveland State University, the Szabos’ other children are Kathy, who resides in Virginia with her husband, Jim, and children Raymond and Joann; Robert, who recently married and is living in Ohio, and Patricia, who lives in Norway with her husband, Ole Johan, and her children, Nicolas and Marcus.

Rev. Szabo’s most satisfying accomplishment while a pastor in Phoenixville was his involvement with the Zudor family, a Hungarian family from Rumania now living in Norristown.

He acted as interpreter for the family and helped them gain permanent residency status in the U.S. after a 2^-year battle with red tape. He also aided the Zudors in getting their daughter, Ildikó, who had been unable to leave Rumania, admitted to the U.S. on a humanitarian parole. She was later granted permanent residency status after her family had already been approved for it.

Rev. Szabó reports happily that the Zudors are adjusting well to life in the U.S., particularly Ildikó, who is an honors student at Ursinus College.

He is also proud of other accomplishments while he has been at Parkside United Church of Christ, including a new roof for the educational building, a new church parlor and new organ. It was also his decision to rename the church from the Hungarian United Church of Christ to Parkside U nited Church of Christ, two years after he arrived.

While the idea met with some resistance from some of the more traditional members of the congregation, Rev. Szabó feels it was a wise move, but acknowledged the benefits may not become evident for many years.

The name change reflects the fact that the church is open to all persons, not just those of one nationality, Szabó commented.

He commended the members of Parkside U nited Church of Christ who worked with him during his term here and has already extended an invitation for them to visit him in Connecticut.

His decision to leave for a new pastorate was largely influenced by the prospect of helping the congregation build a new church.

“Every minister dreams of building a new church. It brings new life to a congregation,” Rev. Szabó stated.

If a new church building doesn’t bring life to the congregation, having Rev. Szabó as pastor probably will. By Carol Balinski