[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 147 (Tuesday, November 29, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: November 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. LADISLAUS MAGYAR CHURCH, NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ

                                 ______


                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 29, 1994

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, October 29, 1994, St. 
Ladislaus Magyar Church of New Brunswick, NJ, celebrated its 90th 
anniversary with a dinner-dance at the East Brunswick Chateau, East 
Brunswick, NJ. It is truly an honor to pay tribute to this fine 
institution, one of the great landmarks of the community and a central 
focus for one of the largest Hungarian communities in America. It is a 
church with a wonderful history.
  The groundbreaking for St. Ladislaus Magyar Church was on October 4, 
1905, and the church was incorporated on October 25, 1904. On November 
19, 1905, the cornerstone of the new church was blessed in a service 
witnessed by some 5,000 people, according to a newspaper account from 
that time. The church underwent renovations and improvements in 1955, 
under the guidance of Father Capistran Body, and again in 1973, under 
the leadership of Father Asztrik Kakonyi. In the spirit of renewal 
inspired by the Vatican Council, great pains were taken to enhance the 
facility while maintaining its noble beauty.
  On September 30, 1973, Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty, the hero of 
Hungarian resistance to Soviet repression, traveled to New Brunswick to 
bless the renovated St. Ladislaus. After the Cardinal's death in 1975, 
a statue of the Cardinal created by the great Hungarian sculptor Ferenc 
Varga, Sr., of Delray Beach, FL, was unveiled at St. Ladislaus. The 
area of Somerset Street where the St. Ladislaus complex now stands was 
renamed, in 1974, Mindszenty Square.
  The church has been an integral part of New Brunswick's Hungarian 
community, a community that has managed to maintain the language, 
culture, and customs of the Magyar motherland while making important 
contributions to the community as a whole. All of the pastors of St. 
Ladislaus were born and educated in Hungary. The St. Ladislaus English-
Hungarian School, founded in 1914, is the only parochial school outside 
of Hungary in which Hungarian is part of the curriculum. The renovation 
of the church has also generated efforts to preserve and develop the 
city's Hungarian neighborhood.
  When Hungarians left their homeland for the promise of America, New 
Brunswick and other areas of Middlesex County was one of the most 
important regions where they settled. The first immigrants arrived 
during the time of World War I, the second wave came after World War 
II, and, finally, a large influx of refugees in 1956 after the brutal 
Soviet crackdown on the Hungarian people's efforts to achieve 
independence and democracy. The Hungarian immigrants, and their sons 
and daughters born in America, have shown their gratitude to the United 
States by working hard and contributing mightily to the growth and 
development of this country. The Hungarian-Americans are a diverse 
group. There are Democrats and Republicans among them. They have 
excelled in many different fields. But one can make at least this 
generalization about them: they are hard working and honest, and are 
driven by a strong sense of faith and family.
  In this post-cold war era, we have an historic opportunity for 
improved U.S.-Hungary relations. The foreign operations bill we passed 
this year increases aid to Central Europe, while our Commerce 
Department is working in partnership with various Hungarian agencies to 
help keep economic reforms on track. The Partnership for Peace, 
announced by President Clinton this year, is a modest first step 
towards bringing Hungary and other former Warsaw Pact nations into the 
NATO fold. I am a cosponsor of legislation known as the NATO Expansion 
Act, which would give Hungary and its neighbors full NATO partnership 
by 1999 at the latest, with immediate provisions for joint military 
exercises and other defense cooperation. I also believe we must do more 
to protect the more than 2\1/2\ million ethnic Hungarians in Romania, 
and condition the granting of Most Favored Nation status on Romania's 
respect for their civil and human rights.
  While our national governments can and should do their part, the most 
important initiatives are happening in the private sector, at the 
community level and in people-to-people contacts. The sister-city 
relationship between New Brunswick and Debrecen is an important 
arrangement that will benefit the people of both communities.
  Mr. Speaker, as the Representative for the Congressional District 
that includes New Brunswick and the parish of St. Ladislaus, I am proud 
to represent the city that has been called the most Hungarian city in 
the United States.

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