Fraternity-Testvériség, 2002 (80. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2002-01-01 / 1. szám
Page 4 TESTVÉRISÉG Hew CulturalGenter IProgram at the dethlen Home “Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already—you can see it now.!” Isaiah 43:19 If there were a Biblical text best suited to describe the year ahead at the Bethlen Home, the above text from the Book of Isaiah may be it. God encourages His people to look toward a bright future in which He continues to bless us, just as He blessed and was faithful to generations past. It is in realization of God’s promise and with an attitude of constant prayer and humility, that the residents, supporters and leadership of Bethlen Home look to this new year. We speak and write often of the construction of the new Bethlen Nursing Home. But now, I write to you concerning the beginnings of another important priority in the Bethlen Home’s mission: that of being a cultural center for the American Hungarian people. On February 1,2002, the new Bethlen Cultural Center Program began! Under the capable leadership of Co-Directors, Edit Szép and Magdolna “Baba” Ujvági, the Bethlen Home is beginning a ministry which will make life at Bethlen Home, in the Retirement Village and in Ligonier Gardens Personal Care Home more meaningful for our residents, while also providing support to the Hungarian communities around America where there is the desire to preserve the language and cultural tradition of our ancestors. Priorities in the Bethlen Cultural Center Program include the celebration of holidays, customs, traditions and foods. It means speaking the Hungarian language and providing Hungarian language programming for those residents who prefer to speak in Hungarian. The program also means embracing the many other cultures and traditions represented among the residents in our three living areas. The Bethlen Home will enhance its identity as a center for the Hungarian American people, while at the same time, it will celebrate the rich diversity of cultures given us by God through the lives of our many residents. On the local and national levels, Edit and Baba have begun planning symposiums and workshops on different ethnic skills and traditions.The cultural program will develop over the next two or three years and will eventually be housed in the old nursing home building, as that building becomes the Bethlen Cultural and Conference Center. Yes, dear Reader, God is “doing many new things” here in Ligonier at the Bethlen Home. If you would like to support the new Cultural Center Program, please send your contributions payable to The Bethlen Home. More importantly, please come visit! You will experience the Peace and Presence of God, as shared through the lives of those who live here and those who work here. May this Lenten- Easter Season be a time for you, which is richly blessed by God. In Faith and in Love, Rev. Imre A. Bertalan Schedule We greet you in the name of the new Bethlen Cultural Center. The center is in full swing, planning programs for our residents and friends throughout the community. While emphasizing Hungarian cultural events, future programs will include other cultures as well. We have already enjoyed get-togethers with our residents from The Bethlen Home, retirement cottages and Ligonier Gardens. A sampling of our upcoming events: • Saturday, March 2: Hungarian egg decoration workshop at the Calvin United Church of Christ, Toledo, Ohio from 9:30 A.M.-4:00 P.M. • Thursday, March 1: Introduction to Cottage Residents. • Sunday, March 10: Hungarian egg-display (himes tojás) at the American Hungarian Reformed Church of Allen Park, Michigan. • Friday, March 15: Program to commemorate the 1848 Revolution and the War of Independence - The Bethlen Home. of Events • Saturday, March 16: Hungarian egg decoration workshop at The Bethlen Home. • Tuesday, March 19: Hungarian residents’ get- together at Ligonier Gardens. • Thursday, March 21: Hungarian Easter traditions at The Bethlen Home-Solarium. • Wednesday, March 27: Easter Traditions. Ligonier Gardens. • Monday, April 1: Locsolás - Easter sprinkling. The Bethlen Home, Retirement Cottages and Ligonier Gardens. Also planned for April are teas, movies, storytelling, food tasting, and other cultural events. We look forward to introducing more activities. However, if you have any ideas that may enhance our program, please share them with us. You may call us at The Bethlen Home at 724-238-6711. We’d love to hear from you! Thanks to all, Edit and Baba
