The Eighth Tribe, 1977 (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1977-08-01 / 8. szám
Page 8 THE EIGHTH TRIBE August, 1977 THE STATUE How did the Mindszenty statue come about? The answer to this question can be found in the extraordinary individual inspiration and experiences of the sculptor, the ideals of the Hungarian community and the words and actions of Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty. For many years, Cardinal Mindszenty has been regarded as a martyr and a symbol of freedom by Hungarians living in all parts of the world. E. Gyuri Hollósy shared this image of Mindszenty. In 1974, when Cardinal Mindszenty visited Cleveland, the young sculptor was still serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. Upon the urging of his father, he came to Cleveland so he could meet Mindszenty personally. So profoundly did this meeting affect the sculptor that he immediately decided to pay tribute to Cardinal Mindszenty and the ideals he stood for by creating an original sculpture. Hollósy followed Mindszenty and observed him wherever he went. He carefully examined Mindszenty’s Memoirs and other books dealing with the life of Mindszenty. After his extensive preparations, he tackled the task of designing the Mindszenty statue, endeavoring to incorporate the essence of Mindszenty into the likeness he was creating. Hollósy planned to visit Mindszenty in Vienna before putting the finishing touches on the statue, but Mindszenty’s untimely death prevented him from doing so. At the same time he found out about Mindszenty’s death, he was also informed that the Most Reverend Bishop James A. Hickey, Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland, would be the celebrant of a Requiem Mass for Cardinal Mindszenty. Hollósy received permission to display the statue in St. John’s Cathedral during the Mass. Bishop Hickey blessed the statue. In newspaper accounts that appeared later, the consensus was that the statue represented a truly artistic accomplishment. Professor Radnay, a wellknown Hungarian-American art critic, dealt extensively with the statue in both the written media and on radio. The statue was displayed in all of the major Hungarian settlements in America and was widely acclaimed. Numerous prelates addressed letters to the sculptor expressing their thanks and appreciation for the work. Géza Katona, the American diplomat who spent many years with Cardinal Mindszenty, concluded that “the statue seems virtually alive” in its accurate portrayal of Mindszenty when he gave an address before a large Washington, D.C. art exhibit crowd. Concurrently, the statue won first place, “best in category,” in the 1975 Federal Businessmen Association Art Exhibit. Last year, on the occasion of the dedication of the Cardinal Mindszenty Plaza, the statue was a focal point of the ceremonies. The dedication of the plaza gave impetus to those who felt a statue of Mindszenty must be erected. Today, the Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty statue stands, appropriately, on the plaza named after Mindszenty as a symbol of freedom, emphasizing the need for human rights and religious freedom in the captive nations. o o o o THE ARTIST. E. Gyuri Hollósy, B.F.A., M.F.A. is the sculptor of the Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty statue. He was born September 19, 1946 in Bad-Aibling, Germany. For the first eight years of his life, he lived between countries. His parents, unwilling to return to communist Hungary, eventually came to America with him in 1954. After the family settled in Cleveland, he attended the Assumption Parochial Elementary School. He was an altar boy at Saint Margaret of Hungary Catholic Church. In 1965, he received the Golden Deeds Award, for high ideals, leadership and unselfish service performed for school and community, on his graduation from Brecksville High School. He attended Western Reserve University on the Mary Raney Scholarship, as a student of the Cleveland Institute of Art in sculpture and painting.
