Catholic Parish of Our Lady of Hungary

South Bend, In

Founded :  1912

Pastor:  Fr. Lawrence Teteh C.S. SP

(Click on Picture to enlarge for better viewing)

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1. Our Lady of Hungary Church 2005

2. Our Lady of Hungary School

3. Our Lady of Hungary Interior 1

4. Our Lady of Hungary Interior 2

5. Our Lady of Hungary Interior 3

6. Our Lady of Hungary Interior 4

7. Our Lady of Hungary Trustees - 1949

8. Our Lady of Hungary Priest - 1948

Genealogy Records

LDS Records

Church records, 1912-1988

Catholic Church. Our Lady of Hungary (South Bend, Indiana) (Main Author)
Microfilm of originals in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Text in English, Hungarian and Latin.
Some pages wanting, faded, etc.
Some years missing.

Baptisms 1915-1924 marriages (last column in record showing marriage contracts ca. 1938-1988, showing name of spouse, date of contract, location of marriage) -  FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617236 Item 8 ]

Baptisms 1912-1919 marriages 1912-1923 first communion 1914-1923 confirmations 1914-1921 deaths 1912-1923 -  FHL US/CAN Film [ 1617236 Item 9 ]

South Bend Public Library

http://www.libraryforlife.org/aboutsjcpl/departments/localhistory/stjoeresources/stjresources.html

Marrige, Birth and Death is available on CRIMP Roll 31, in the Genealogy Center, 2^nd floor  

Item 8                            Baptisim & Marriage             1915-1924

Item 9                            Baptisim , Marriage, Death 1912-1924

Church Web Site and Contact: 

http://www.ourladyofhungary.com/index.htm

CONTACT US

Mailing Addresses:

Phone Numbers:

Parish Office:  574 287 1700

Fax Numbers: NA

Fax:  574 289 6704

  Web Address:

History Of Our Lady of Hungary,South Bend

In 1910 a little church was built on South Catalpa on property since purchased by the Studebaker Corporation for expansion of their foundry. The little church was a mission from St. Stephen’s Church built to counteract a schism.

Rev. Lawrence Horvath was pastor of St. Stephen’s at that time. For most of the following years Rev. Paul Miller C.S.C., came from Notre Dame to take care of the little mission church, named in honor of Our Lady of Hungary. The Sacramental records were kept at St. Stephens.

In 1921, Rev. Geza Gyorffy, who had recently come from Hungary to Toledo, was invited by Bishop Herman Alerding to come to South Bend and to start a parish at Our Lady. Fr. Gyorffy came in December of 1921. He organized the parish, purchased the property on West Calvert Street, had the little church moved to the new site, built the rectory the school and the convent. He acted as pastor until 1935, when because of ill health, he asked to be relieved of the burden of a large debt and obtained a smaller parish in Gary Indiana. Assistant to him were Fr. Charles Scholl, Fr. Carl Schnitz, Fr. Jerome Walski, Fr. John Woods, Fr. Sergius Kafka, and Fr. John Sabo.

 When Fr. Gyorffy left South Bend, Bishop Noll appointed Fr. Sabo to be pastor. He had been a church assistant since July of 1930. He took over the parish on February 1, 1935.

Assistants during these years were Rev. Vincent Mooney, Fr. Ted Janicki, Fr. Jerome Walski, Fr. Edward Rozwog, Fr. Ignatius Vichuras, Fr. Edward Mc Carthy, C.P.P.S., Fr. Anthony Rzeszutek, Fr. Edward Keever, and Rev. Joseph Lenk who came after his ordination in 1943, Fr. Stephen Steveson, who came in 1944 and Fr. Raymond Balzerwho came after his ordination in 1949.

In the past 10 years the parish purchased more property so that we now own practically two blocks on West Calvert. The old debt has been paid and a new one made. Funds were raised for a new church and when the parish had over $175,000 the new church was begun.

Herman Goul and Sons of Chicago were the architects. Peter Schumacher and sons of Mishawaka was the general contractor. Ground was broken in the summer of 1948. In the early fall, excavation started and by Christmas of 1949, the church was far enough complete to use for services. His Excellency, John Francis Noll with the help of the Chancellor of the diocese, Msgr. Charles Feltes, the Assistant Provincial of the Holy Cross Order, the President, Vice president and other priests from the University, with pastors and assistants from the city and nearby parishes, dedicated the church on December 18, 1949. The Mass was celebrated by the pastor Rt. Rev. Msgr. John S. Sabo, Deacon of the Mass, Rev. Martin Horvath, Sub Deacon Rev. Raymond Balzer.

The newly formed choir under the direction of Prof. Carl Mathes, sang a Mass written by the professor, for the occasion and dedicated to our Most Reverend Bishop. The Mass properly was entitled “Mass of Our Lady of Hungary”

The beautiful church will not be completely furnished on the inside until debt on the church structure is reduced to some extent.

The pews have been ordered. A new organ is being built and will be installed very shortly. Mrs. Elizabeth Kormendi, an internationally famous artist, is painting the Stations of the Cross. The Rose window on the front of the church, the donation of the Wisser family has already been installed.

The tower of the church would not have been built at this time but for the fact that a memorial to our war dead was fitting. In the summer of 1948, it was decided to have a memorial in connection with our new church. A donation of $2,000 by the American Legion Post 272, started a fund raising campaign, which resulted in the purchase of a new car to be raffled off at a carnival to help pay for the tower and insert a shrine in the tower. Rev. Joseph Lenk, just returned from the Wars devoted himself heart and soul to the project know as the Purple Heart Memorial.  The carnival was a success.

The tower has on it a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Hungary, the work of Eugene Kormendi, Sculptor in residence at the University of Notre Dame. It represents a donation of $1,000 by Mr. Kormendi. The memorial shrine also contains a synthetic marble figure of St. Michael the Archangel, a gift from Mr. Kormendi. The shrine has an Altar, the names of over 18 war dead and other dead members of Post 272 and friends of the Purple Heart Tower. The dedication of the memorial, window, altar and shrine is set for May 21.

We hereby thank everyone who has helped to make our new church a reality.

The school was built in 1927 and 1928. The sisters who kindly agreed to teach are the Daughter's of Divine Charity. It so happened that the first Superior was Sister Gabriella, now again the Superior. The sisters teaching at the present are; Sister Gabriella, Sister Martina Ass’t Superior, Sister Sylvia, Sister Oliva, Sister Monica, Sister Germain, Sister Lucy, Sister Bernice and Sister Romulda.  Due to our large first grade at the present have it in two sections; Miss Margaret Mary Miller is the teacher of section 2. We have had some vocations to the sisterhood.

To the Daughters of Devine Charity;

Miss Matilda Nemecz, Sister M. Dolores F.D.C.

Miss Gizella Fuzy, Sister M. Melanie F.D.C.

Miss Anna Torma, Sister M. Marietta  F.D.C.

Miss Julia Toth, Sister M. Angelica F.D.C.

Miss Theresa Toth, Sister M. Loretta F.D.C.

Miss Thersa Kodba, Sister M. Perpetua F.C.D.

Miss Helen Klebusits, Sister M. Gonzaga F.D.C.

Miss Sophie Szoke, Sister M Antoinette F.D. C.

Miss Margaret Prister, Sister Madeline Sophie F.D.C.

Mr. Alexander Cifra, Brother Berchman O.F.M.

Our Bishop made the first donation to the new church more than a dozen years ago when he cancelled a debt amounting to $6,000; times were very hard, and our debts were great. On asking for consideration, our good bishop said, “ I cannot cancel it at once, but will over the years, provided you do not consider it a cancellation but a contribution toward a new church which your parish needs badly.” That is why on our dedication plaque, our bishop has special mention.

There are many other donors. Mr. Kormendi donated his work on the statue atop the tower shaft. This would amount to nearly $1,000. He donated the St Michael statue in the memorial. Mrs. Kormendi is painting the Stations of the Cross as a gift.

Prof. Mathes, along with donations in cash, has donated time to work with our choir, and we must nor forget the value of his composition of the Mass he wrote for the dedication of our Church.

Many of our parishioners donated time to tear down the old church and to work on cleaning the grounds. There will be more work and good men and women will donate more. We thank all of them.

Items of Historical Interest

Information Submitted by: Jim Piechorowski and John Kovatch

Project Started: Sunday, September 04, 2005 - 07:19:16 PM

Updated: Saturday, September 17, 2005 09:47:14 PM

Return To: Hungarian

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