William Penn Life, 2000 (35. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2000-10-01 / 10. szám

Meeting with Pope symbolizes link between Hungary, Catholic Church

from The Budapest Sun Online THE VATICAN - Pope John Paul II received Hungarian President Ferenc Mádi and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at a private audience in the Vatican on Sept. 22. The meeting aimed at symbolizing the link between the 1,000 years of Christian Hungarian statehood and the 2,000- year-old Roman Catholic Church.

Hungary was founded by King St. Stephen I in 1000 A.D. when he created a Catholic state by settling nomadic tribes and asking for a crown from Pope Sylvester II.

The three men discussed common interests linking Hungary and Europe and the process whereby the late Hungarian Cardinal József

DEARBORN, MI — The Hungarian Arts Club of Dearborn is offering scholarships of up to $2,000 to students pursuing an undergraduate degree in the fine arts.

To be eligible for a grant, applicants must: (1) be of Hungarian descent; (2) demonstrate talent and ability in their chosen field; and (3) submit a portfolio of their best work. Applicants must also provide two references and proof of their Hungarian ancestry.

Mindszenty is to be canonized.

Mádi and Orbán told a joint press conference on Sept. 24 that, like a millennium ago, what is at stake today is the strengthening of Hungary's position in Europe through the representation of unity between national and European aspirations and values.

The visit coincided with the release of results from a new survey on the religious views and practices of post-Communist Europeans. Forty percent of the Hungarians surveyed claimed to have no religious affiliation. At the same time, 72 percent claimed to be Catholic, but only 42 percent considered themselves members of the church.

The number and dollar amount of scholarships will vary depending on funding available.

Applications must be postmarked no later than Dec. 4. Winners will be notified in January, and the scholarships will be awarded at the White Rose Ball in Dearborn on Feb. 3, 2001 For more information and an application form, contact Diane Kroll, 3821 Syracuse, Dearborn, MI 48124. Or, call her at (313) 226-5169 or (313) 565-3408.

Church anniversary

DUQUESNE, PA - The Hungarian Reformed Church of Duquesne, Pa., will celebrate its 90th anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 22, with a special worship service followed by a dinner.

The service will begin at 9:45 a.m., with dinner to be served at 12:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

The cost of the dinner will be a free-will donation. For reservations, call (412) 466-2300 and leave a message.

Millennial concert

CLEVELAND - A “Millennial Coronation Concert” commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of the coronation of King St. Stephen will be held Sunday, Oct. 29, in the historic St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, Buckeye Road, Cleveland.

Joining the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra, conducted by Robert L. Cronquist, will be the Choral Arts Society of Cleveland, soprano Georgina Gatto, tenor Janos Nagy of Hungary, Alex Fedoriuk on cymbalom and the Rev. Frank Juhasz Shepherd on organ.

Tickets are $ 10. A post-concert banquet will be served in the church hall for an additional $20. For reservations, call (440) 248- 0662 or (216) 381-4012.

Tourism boom

BUDAPEST - Hungarian tourism is set for a sharp increase in the next 20 years, according to the World Tourism Organization. Tourist-derived revenue for the first six months of 2000 was 14.3 percent higher than that for the same period last year. The number of tourists also increased 10 percent this year over last, government figures showed.

Scholarships available for art students

Uilliani Pen Lile, October 2000

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More POWs could still be in Russia

from The Budapest Sun Online BUDAPEST - As many as 60 Hungarian POWs could still be alive in psychiatric institutions throughout Russia today, said the doctor of the World War II POW who only recently returned to Hungary.

Dr. András Veér, director-general of the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, cited figures showing as many as 85,000 Hungarians who were held captive in Russia are still unaccounted for.

Veer is planning to visit five Russian psychiatric institutions this

month in a quest to track down more men like Tamás András. Tamás spent the last five decades in a Russian hospital where staff mistook his Hungarian for gibberish. It was only a chance encounter with a Hungarian-speaking Russian doctor earlier this year that led to his release and return to Hungary.

Veer plans to lobby the Hungarian government to take action. "There is no organized search to find Hungary's lost sons taking place, but [this] month I plan to suggest it to the government," he said.