St. Emeric Parish on Cleveland?s West Side, which sits in the shadow of the West Side Market, had a double celebration on Aug. 19. Bishop Nelson Perez celebrated the 11 a.m. Mass that day to observe the feasts of St. Stephen and St. Emeric of Hungary.
St. Stephen, a much-loved king of Hungary, was born a pagan but baptized at about age 10 with his father, Geza, who was chief of the Magyars. After succeeding his father, St. Stephen adopted a policy of Christianization of the country, establishing a system of tithes to support churches and pastors and to help the poor. He also encouraged the building of churches throughout the kingdom. His son, Emeric, died in 1031, seven years before St. Stephen. Both were canonized together in 1083. The veneration of both saints was decreed in 1092 throughout Hungary.
During the Mass, Bishop Perez wore a brightly colored stole that bore Hungarian symbols. Instead of his crosier, he entered the church using a carved wooden Hungarian walking stick. Leading the entrance procession behind the cross-bearer were representatives of the Hungarian Scouts in uniform and others wearing traditional Hungarian dress.
Two parishioners carried large, round loaves of bread that were placed on the altar. Bishop Perez blessed the bread after Mass, cut a slice from each loaf and tasted it.
He told the congregation that faith and culture are inseparable. ?Jesus was a Jew, a man of culture.?
