100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Hungary, South Bend

“Follow me!” In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus issuing the call to discipleship. This call of Jesus to follow Him is at the very heart of the Gospel. It’s at the heart of our faith – the call of Jesus to each one of us personally to be His disciples. He asks for our wholehearted and unconditional response. No conditions – Jesus made this clear to the one who asked to go first and bury his father. Our Lord’s response to him may seem harsh, but Jesus is teaching us that He must come first, even before family obligations. Another asked to say farewell to his family before he followed Jesus. Again, Jesus says no. We can’t say to Jesus, “I will follow you, but….”. Our response to Jesus must be unconditional. Following Jesus must always be our number one priority. The Gospel today is teaching us that following Jesus requires our resolute determination, not looking back to what we leave behind. Jesus says: “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” Entering into God’s kingdom demands our full attention and absolute commitment.

Sigueme! En el Evangelio de hoy, escuchamos a Jesus hacienda el llamado al discipulado. Esta llamada de Jesus a seguirlo es al corazon del Evangelio y de nuestra fe – la llamada de Jesus a cada uno de nosotros personalmenta a ser sus discipulos. El Senor pide nuestra respuesta sincera e incondicional. El Senor nos llama a seguirlo sin condiciones. Esto es claro cuando en el evangelio de hoy cuando alguien le pidio ir primero a enterrar a su padre. Jesus le dijo “no.” La respuesta de Jesus parece duro, pero Jesus nos esta ensenando que El debe venir primero, incluso antes de las obligaciones familiares. Otra persona le dijo: “Te seguire, Senor, pero permiteme que me despida de los mios.” Una vez mas, Jesus dice que no. No podemos decir a Jesus: “te seguire, pero…” Nuestra respuesta a Jesus debe ser incondicional. Seguir a Jesus debe ser siempre nuestra prioridad numero uno. El Evangelio de hoy nos esta ensenando que el seguir a Jesus require nuestra firme determinacion, no mirando hacia atras. Jesus dice: “Todo el que pone la mano al arado y mira para atras, no sirve para el Reino de Dios.” El Reino de Dios exige nuestra atencion y compromiso absoluto.

Today we celebrate with gratitude the 100th anniversary of this community of Our Lady of Hungary. I don’t say 100th anniversary of this parish since Our Lady of Hungary only officially became a parish 95 years ago, in 1921, when Bishop Hermann Alerding, the 4th Bishop of Fort Wayne, appointed the first pastor, Father Geza Gyorfy. But it was 100 years ago, in 1916, that this community began as a mission church of Saint Stephen’s parish. It became a community of disciples. Those first parishioners, like us gathered here today, were committed disciples of Jesus. They heard and answered Jesus’ call: “Follow me.” We know that those first parishioners, Hungarian-American Catholics, were steadfast in their faith and were deeply committed to following Jesus. They made many sacrifices to build this parish. They built a church here in 1923 and a school in 1927. Later, under the leadership of Father John Sabo, they built this beautiful church in 1949. Today, it is good to remember Monsignor Sabo who spent his whole priestly ministry here at Our Lady of Hungary, from 1930 until his retirement in 1980: 50 years of priestly ministry (45 of which he served as pastor) here at Our Lady’s. He was a disciple, a priest who put his hand to the plow and did not look back. Today we give thanks and pray for him and all the priests who have served here at Our Lady of Hungary. We also give thanks for the many sisters who taught in the school through the years, the Daughters of Divine Charity. And we give thanks and pray for all the parishioners throughout these 100 years who have left us an example of discipleship – of commitment, service, and dedication to the Lord Jesus and His Church.

Hoy celebramos con gratitud el centesimo aniversario de esta comunidad de Nuestra Senor de Hungria. Hace cien anos, en el ano 1916, esta comunidad comenzo como una mision de la parroquia de San Esteban. Los primeros feligreses fueron comprometidos disciplulos de Jesus. Oyeron y respondieron al llamado de Jesus: “Sigueme.” Sabemos que los feligreses primeros, Catolicos Hungaro Americanos, fueron firmes en su fe y profundamente compometidos como discipulos de Jesus. Hicieron muchos sacrificios para construer esta parroquia. Construyeron una iglesia aqui en 1923 y una escuela en 1927. Mas tarde, bajo la direccion del Padre John Sabo, constryeron esta hermosa iglesia en 1949. Hoy en dia, es bueno recorder este sacerdote que paso todo su vida sacerdotal aqui en nuestra Senore de Hungria, desce 1930 hasta su jubilacion en 1980: 50 anos de ministerio sacerdotal. El era un discipulo, un hombre que puso su mano el el arado y no miro para atras. Hoy damos gracias y oramos por todos los sacerdotes, hermanas religiosas, y feligreses laicos a lo largo de estos cien anos. Ellos nos han dejado un ejemplo de discipulado, de decicacion, compromise y servicio al Senor Jesus y su Iglesia.

One of the beautiful characteristics of Our Lady of Hungary Parish is its openness to immigrants and their culture and languages. We think first of the Hungarian immigrants and their sacrifices. In more recent years, this parish has welcomed with a spirit of true Christian charity the new immigrants from Latin America, particularly Mexico. This parish and this school is thriving because it is truly catholic – universal, respectful and appreciative of different cultures and languages. This is part of being a disciple of Jesus: welcoming all as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all united in our common faith. We are united in our hope of eternity. We are united in our love for Jesus and one another. We are united as disciples of Jesus. That’s our strength: our unity in diversity. This unity in diversity is truly evident at this centennial Mass today.

Una de las hermosas caracteristicas de la parroquia de Nuestra Senora de Hungria es su aperture a los inmigrantes y sus cultura y idiomas. Pensamos primero en los inmigrantes hungaros y sus sacrificios. En los ultimos anos, esta parroquia ha acogido con espiritu de amor cristiano a ustedes, inmigrantes y sus familias de America Latina, especialmente Mexico. Ustedes han traido nueva vida a esta parroquia. Les doy gracias por su fe y por su dedicacion a esta parroquia. Gracias por compartir su rica cultura Latina. Esta parroquia y esta escuela esta prosperando porque es verdaderamente catolica, universal, respetuosa de las lenguas y culturas diferentes. Esto es parte de ser un discipulo de Jesus, reconociendo uno a otro como hermanos y hermanas en Cristo. Todos estamos unidos en nuestra fe catolica, en nuestra esperanze en la vida eterna, y en nuestro amor a Dios. Estamos unidos comos discipulos de Jesus. Esta es su fuerza como parroquia: su unidad en la diversidad.

I wish to encourage you as you begin a second century of parish life. Make discipleship your number one priority – the following of Jesus. With this priority, your parish will not only endure, it will flourish. And be missionary disciples! The faith is a gift that you don’t just keep for yourselves. You share it with others, beginning with your own families, the Catholic education of your children and grandchildren, and then also this neighborhood, bringing the Gospel and inviting to discipleship those in this area who do not go to church. A truly vibrant parish is a missionary parish, an evangelizing community. I encourage you to continue to reach out to your neighbors with the love of Christ, with special attention to those who are poor and needy. And I encourage you to invite and welcome all to Our Lady of Hungary and not to be afraid to share your Catholic faith with them.

Quiero animarles al comenzar un egundo siglo de vida parroquial. El discipulado debe ser us primera prioridad: siguiendo a Jesus como individuos y como comunidad. Y no solo ser discipulos, pero discipulos misioneros! La fe es un regalo que no solo guardamos por nosotros mismos. Es algo que debemos comp0artir don los demas, empezando en nuestras propias familias. Una prioridad debe ser la educacion catolica de sus hijos y nietos. Despues viene la mision de compartir el Evangelio con personas en esta vecindad, esta zona, que no participan en la Iglesia. Algunos son catolicos pero no practican la fe. Otros no conocen a Jesus y no tienen ninguna fe. Una parroquia verdaderamente vibrante es una comunidad que evangeliza, una parroquia misionera. Les animo a ser una parroquia evangelizadora, que alcanza a otros con el amor de Cristo, con especial atencion a los pobres y necesitados. Les animo a invitar a sus vecinos a esta parroquia y no tener miedo de compartir su fe catolica con ellos.

You are blessed to have as your parish patron the most perfect disciple of the Lord, Our Lady. She is an outstanding model for us of discipleship, of faith, hope, and charity. Mary was totally devoted to her Son and to His mission of salvation. She is also our devoted mother, who prays for us and is always at our side. She helps us to be faithful disciples of her Son, so it is good that we turn to her often for her intercession. I pray that your devotion to Our Lady will continue to be strong. May Our Lady of Hungary intercede for you and for this parish as you begin your second century as a community of her Son’s disciples!

Ustedes son bendecidos tener como su patron el mas perfecto discipulo del Senor, la Santisima Virgen Maria. Ella es el modelo perfecto de un discipulo, la primera y perfecta discipulo de Jesus. Maria fue totalmente dedicada a su Hijo y a su mison de salvacion. Ella es tambien nuestra Madre, dedicada a nosotros y a nuestra salvacion. Ella nos ayuda a ser fieles discipulos de su Hijo. Ruego que su devocion a nuestra Santisima Madre sea siempre muy fuerte. Ruego que Nuestra Senora de Hungria quien es tambien Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, la Madre de Dios y nuestra Madre, interceda siempre por ustedes y por esta parroquia que comienza su Segundo sigo como comunidad de discipulos de Su Hijo!