St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish, the mother church of the other two Hungarian parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland – St. Emeric (1904), where Father Bona also serves as pastor, and St. Margaret (1918-2009) – celebrated three occasions on Feb. 20. Bishop Edward Malesic celebrated Mass at which Father Richard Bona was installed as pastor, he blessed the church’s restored bells and marked the 100th anniversary of the consecration of the church at 9016 Buckeye Ave. in Cleveland.
Concelebrating the liturgy were Father Bona and Father Edward Cronin, mission director of St. Stephen King of Hungary Mission in Chicago, Illinois, who traveled to Cleveland to represent Hungarian Catholics from the Archdiocese of Chicago and beyond.
“We have a lot to celebrate today, don’t we?” asked the bishop, noting the parish also marks its 130th anniversary this year. “I think it is a good day for Father Bona, for this parish and for our diocese.”
The bishop said he grew up in a German parish that also was home to many Hungarians in the area outside of Steelton, Pennsylvania. He also reflected on the purpose of a parish, which he said is much more than just its buildings.
“Every parish is meant to be a gathering of people who worship God, it must proclaim Jesus to their children, to its people and to others and a parish must be a place of service to those in need,” the bishop said.
“A good parish will always worship God,” he told the congregation. “If God is not at the center of this parish, there is something wrong. It is a place of prayer and reverence. We come to pray for our needs and the needs of others. We celebrate the holy sacrifice of the Mass and receive Jesus under the signs of bread and wine. In response, we lift our mind and hearts up to him; we give ourselves to him as he gives himself to us.”
As a group of people who proclaim Jesus, we must know him ourselves before we can make him known to others. The bishop reminded the congregation that their faith was handed on by someone else who had encountered Jesus, someone who inspired them to say “yes” to Jesus after being invited to follow him, “Before he ascended into heaven, he gave all of us a mission to go out and baptize others and teach others what we have come to know. “Our faith is not mean to be confined within the wall of our churches,” Bishop Malesic said. “It was the faith of devout Hungarians that brought this parish to life. It is the faith of devout Hungarian descendants and others who must continue to carry the torch of faith to the world outside of these walls.”
He reminded them that a parish also is meant to be a place of service, something St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish has been for 130 years. “Don’t stop,” he said, reminding those gathered that as they have received, they also must give. Their patron saint was a model servant for the poor, he said, noting she also is the patron saint of Catholic Charities.
“By using her inspiration and example, this parish has been generous outside of itself by serving the needs of the community, the needs of the poor and the needs of those who are sick. Here the corporal works of mercy are performed,” he said, noting the hungry were fed, the thirsty were given a drink, clothing was given to those in need, the dead were buried, the doubtful were counseled, sinners were admonished and sins were forgiven and the sorrowing were consoled.
“In this parish, we discover that we do need each other. And we need a home,” he said. Referring to his recent trip to the diocesan mission in El Salvador, he talked about visiting a family’s new home constructed with the generosity of people from the diocese. “It is a home for a family and they were proud to show it to me.”
Every parish wants a home, the bishop said. St. Elizabeth of Hungary parishioners outgrew their first home and received permission in 1918 – during the flu pandemic – to build the current church. “We got through that pandemic and we will get through this one, too,” he added.
“In this church, thousands of Masses have been celebrated, along with baptisms, first holy Communions, confirmations and weddings. In here, our sins have been forgiven and our prayers have risen to God. Here we have struggled together, laughed together, lamented together and buried our dead together,” Bishop Malesic said.
The real presence of Jesus lives in the tabernacle and the glory of God fills the space he said, adding that when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, “We become walking tabernacles of the living Christ. Take Jesus with you as you go back to home, to work, to school, to your neighborhoods and families.” As the church points to heaven, he urged the faithful to ensure they do the same with their words, lives and their way of living.
As beautiful as the church is, he reminded them their souls must be even more beautiful. “This building should inspire your soul to be a beautiful place for God to make his home.
Bishop Malesic said he is asking Father Bona, as the new pastor, to help his parishioners find Christ, the resurrection and the life, to help them worship him, proclaim him, serve him, be the best disciples they can be, keep them true to the faith of St. Peter, upon which Jesus built his Church, and to be a father to the parish.
“May this church always point us in the direction of the resurrection, our final goal and our greatest joy,” he added.
After Mass, the bishop went to the back of the church and blessed the three bells in the bell tower that are dedicated to Szent Laszlo (St. Ladislas), Szent Imre (St. Emeric) and Szent Margit (St. Margaret). The first two bells were cast and placed when the original church was built in 1893 and the third originally was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 1895.
During a post-Mass reception in the parish hall, Cleveland Ward 4 Councilwoman Deborah Gray, who represents the Buckeye neighborhood, announced that the parish would receive a proclamation from the city in recognition of its milestones. Also, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Wanda Jones presented a certificate of congratulations to the parish.
A brass plaque recognizing the significant contributions of the Hungarian government, Cleveland Hungarian Development Panel, parishioners and friends of the parish for the refurbishing of the bell and celebration of the centennial anniversary of the church dedication will be placed in the church.