Sárospataki Füzetek 21. (2017)

2017 / 2. szám - RESEARCH PAPERS-FORSCHUNGSMATERIALIEN - Pándy-Szekeres Dávid: Elements of a triangular relationship: the presbyterian church in canada, ethnic Hungarian congregations of the presbyterian curch in canada and the reformed church of hungary

Elements of a Triangular Relationship

ian revolution of October which rocked the world, the only apparent acknowledgement of this to appear in the Presbyterian Record was an article in the December issue entitled Christmas Still Lives Behind the Iron Curtain.12 By January 1957, however, the PCC had caught its stride and found itself in the midst of welcoming thousands of Hungarian refugees who were arriving in the country at different ports of call as a result of the Canadian government’s unprecedented act of waiving certain requirements of the usual immigration process.

“In the late weeks of 1956 the Government of Canada arranged to accept from refugee camps in Europe a considerable number of Hungarians. These began to arrive in numbers in December. The Churches of all denominations in Canada were stirred by the story of the refugees and considerable sums of money were raised to give assistance to the »Freedom Fighters« who were no longer permitted to live in their own land. Our congregations across Canada, along with congregations of other denominations, sent an unknown sum of money through the Red Cross and other agencies to assist these people. $22,000 was contributed for the Overseas Relief of Hungarians in camps and $8,000 was made available for work amongst the refugees by our Church in Canada through the Treasurers Office. Much more was given locally.

With the promise by the Government of one of the largest of movements of people in 1957, our Church will need to expand its staff considerably. It is expected that in addition to the Hungarian refugees yet to be brought from Europe, 200,000 immigrants will enter this country: 100,000 of them from the British Isles. It has been possible to add to the staff of Hungarian workers since the refugee movement started and it now becomes a matter of urgency to add to the staff of English-speaking workers. It is felt, too, that we must be much more alert in providing literature for people who intend to make Canada their home.”12 13

The members of the PCC Hungarian congregations volunteered countless hours of service in the assistance of the newly arrived refugees. Many of them opened up their homes and provided lodging and some were even able to provide jobs. Many of the ministers of these congregations were on hand to offer counselling and many of them helped set up and man Hungarian Relief Committees in the different centres to which the refugees were directed. Despite the original information provided by sources in Austria and France,14 it was soon discovered that many of the refugees were in fact of the Reformed faith, as an extensive article by the minister of the Hungarian PCC congregation in Toronto laid out these matters to readers in the February 1957 issue of the Presbyterian Record. Another article in the same issue, addressed

12 Glenn D. Everett: Christmas Still Lives Behind the Iron Curtain, Presbyterian Record, December 1956,6-7.

13 The Acts and Proceedings of the General Assembly of the PCC, 1957,201 -202.

14 Kálmán D.Tóth: Hungarian Refugees in our Midst, Presbyterian Record, February 1957,4-5.

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