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 HUNGARIAN

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HUNGARIAN

benefit of his countrymen. Being the only priest whom the Hungarians could claim as their own, he was in de- mand in every part of the country and for over seven years his indefatigable zeal and capacity for work carried liim over a vast territory from Connecticut to California, where he founded congregations, adminis- tered the sacraments, and brought the careless again into the church. He built the first Hungarian church (St. Elizabeth's) in Cleveland, Ohio, as well as a large parochial school for 600 pupils, a model of its kind, and also founded the two Hungarian Catholic papers, "Szent Erzs^bet Hirnoke" and "Magyarok VasiSr- napja ". The second Hungarian church (St. Stephen's) was founded at Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1S97, and the third (St. Stephen's) at McKeesport, Pennsyl- vania, in 1S99. Besides those named, the following Hungarian churches have been etablished: (1900) South Bend, Indiana; Toledo, Ohio: (1901) Fairport, Ohio; Throop, Pennsylvania; (1902) McAdoo and South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; New York City, New York; Passaic, New Jersey; (1903) Alpha and Perth Amboy, New Jersey; Lorain, Ohio; (1904) Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland (St. Imre's) and Dillon vale, Ohio; Trenton and New Brun.swick, New Jersey; Connells- ville, Pennsylvania; Pocahontas, Virginia; (1905) Buffalo, New York; Detroit, Michigan; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; (1906) Dayton, Ohio; South Nom-alk, Connecticut; (1907) Newark and South River, New Jersey; Northampton, Pennsylvania; Y'oungstown, Ohio; (1908) East Chicago, Indiana; Columbus, Ohio; (1909) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There are about thirty Hungarian priests who minister to the spiritual wants of these congregations, but more priests are urgently needed in order effectually to reach their covmtrymen. Although there are nearly half a mil- lion Hungarian Catholics in the United States, includ- ing the native born, only thirty-three churches seem a faint proof of practical Catholicity; yet one must not forget that these Himgarian immigrants are scattered among a thousand different localities in this country, usually very far apart and in only small numbers in each place. Only in a few of the larger places, such as New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Bridgeport, is there a sufficiently large number to support a church and the priest in charge of it. Besides it has been found extremely difficult to procure Magj'ar priests suitable for missionary work among their countrymen here in America. An attempt has been made in various dioceses to supply the deficiency. In the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, Rev. Roderic McEachen, of Barton, and Rev. Joseph Weigand, of Stcubenville, have de- voted themselves to the Magyar language and have become sufficiently conversant with it to meet the religious needs of their Hungarian parishioners. In Pocahontas, Virginia, Rev. Anthony Hoch, O. S. B., is familiar with this difficult language, having spent over a year in Hungary at the request of his superiors, in order to learn the Hungarian tongue. The late Bishop Tierney of Hartford, in order to meet the wants of his diocese, sent eight of his young clerics about two years ago to study theology and the Magyar language m Himgarian seminaries [six to Budapest and two to Karlsburg (Gyulyafeh(?rv!ir)] where they are pre- paring for the priesthood and learning the language and customs of the people. Two of them have just returned, having been ordained at Budapest. It is not intended by this policy to place American priests over Hungarian congregations, but to supply mixed congregations, where Hungarians are numerous, with priests who can speak their language and keep them in the practice of their religion.

While Catholic societies and membership in them are constantly increasing everywhere in this coimtry the Hvmgarian element can boast of only a relatively small progress. The Magyars have one Catholic As- sociation (Szuz Mdria Szovets<^g), wnth head-quar- ters at Cleveland, Ohio, which was founded in 1896

under the leadership of Rev. Charles Bohm, assisted by Joseph Pity, Francis Apdthy, and John Weizer. This association has 2500 members comprising about eighty councils in different States. Besides being a religious organization it is also a benefit association providing life insurance for its members. There are also several other Catholic Hungarian benefit so- cieties throughout the country, the largest being at Cleveland, Oliio, the Catholic Union (Szent Erzsi'bet Unio), with 800 members. There are many other non-Catholic Hungarian societies, to which Catholic Hungarians belong, the two largest being the Bridge- porti Sz6vet.seg with 250 councils and Verhovai Egylet with 130 councils. The Hungarian Reformed Church has also a church association based upon the same lines as the Catholic societies and with about the same membership. In 1907 the Hungarian National Federation (.\merikai Magyar Szovets^g), an organiza- tion embracing all Magyars of whatsoever creed, was founded with great enthusiasm in Cleveland, its object being to care for the material interests and welfare of Hungarians in America. Julius Rudny- dn.sky, a noted Catholic poet and writer, was one of the founders. Despite its good intentions it has failed to obtain the unqualified support of Hungari- ans throughout the countrj-. The parochial schools established by the Hungarians have grown rapidly. The finest was built in Cleveland, Ohio, by Rev. Charles Bohm, and now contains 655 pupils. There are altogether (in 1909) twelve Hungarian parochial schools containing about 2.500 chiklren. No attempt at any institutions of higher education has been made, nor are there any purely Himgarian teach- ing orders (male or female) in the United States to-day.

The first Hungarian paper was a little sheet called "Magj'ar Sziimiizottek Lapja" (Hungarian Exiles' Journal), which made its first appearance on 15 Octo- ber, 1853, and lived a few years. The next one was "Amerikai Nemzctor" (.\merican (iuard.^man) in 1884, which has long since ceased to exist. The "Szabads:5g" (Liberty) was founded in 1891 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Tilmc^r Kohdnyi, and is a flourishing dailj' published there and m New York. Catholic Hungarian joiirnali.sm in America presents but a meagre history. Soon after the arrival of Father Bohm he started a religious weekly at Cleve- land called " Mag>arorszdgi Szent Erzsebet Hirnoke" (St. Elizabeth's Hungarian Herald). Two years later this weekly developed into a full-fledged newspaper of eight pages called "Magj'arok Vasarnapja" (Hun- garian Sunday News), anti became quite popular. In the beginning of 1907 the Hungarian Catholic clergy, hoping to put Catholic journalism on a stronger foundation, held an enthusiastic meeting at Cleveland and took the "Magyarok Vasdrnapja " under their joint control and selected as its editor Rev. Stephen F. Chernitzky, from whom in great part the facts for this article have been obtained. But notwithstanding his hard work in Catholic journalism the panic of 1907 deprived it of financial backing and it lost much of its patronage. At Cleveland there is also a Cath- olic weekly "Haladiis" (Progress), started in 1909. Rev. Geza Messerschmiedt of Passaic, New Jersey, is conducting a monthly Catholic paper "Hajnal" (Dawn), and there is also another Catholic Hungarian monthly," Magj'ar ZjSszR)" (Hungarian Standard ),pulv lished at McKeesport, Pennsylvania, by Rev. Colman Kovdcs. Other clergj-men like Rev. .Alexander Vdrlaky of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Rev. Louis Kovdcs of New York City have undertaken the task of keeping alive small Catholic weekly papers for the benefit of their countrjTnen.

A great many of the Hungarians in America are indifferentists and free-thinkers and from them the Liberals and Socialists are recruited. But a large number are Protestants of a Calvinistic type, some-