St. Casimir Alumni Blog

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October 29, 2008

The Casimir force is an effect that pushes two parallel conducting plates together when the distance between them is tiny. The force arises because the gap between the plates is filled with virtual photons popping in and out of existence.

As the plates come closer together, fewer photons can fit within the gap. On the outer sides of the plates, however, the photons are unconstrained, causing a pressure difference that pushes the plates together.
 

October 22, 2008

Change the name of the nationality and we are all in the same boat.  Maybe we should write the same type of letters and flood Bishop Lennon’s mail.
Anita Rajic

An Open Letter to Bishop Lennon

Catholic Diocese of Cleveland

1027 Superior Ave.

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Bishop Lennon,

My name is Edit Simon Juhasz, I am an active member of the St. Emeric Parish community.  I do not write this letter in any official capacity,  the opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I am a member of the St. Emeric Finance Committee.  I volunteer my time and share my talents by leading a wonderful volunteer team, called the St. Emeric Kitchen Angels. The Kitchen Angels’ contribution to the vibrancy of our parish is keeping our traditions alive, through our food culture and supporting our traditional ethnic events. The purpose of our labor of love is to pass our heritage to our children and their children. According to conventional anthropological wisdom, there is a strong connection between language, history and food. Clearly, it is vital to know one’s roots, for, if we do not know our past, how do we know who we are? It is vital for the Hispanics to know their roots. It is vital for the Blacks to know their roots. Why would it not be so for Hungarians? Does God not love all his children equally? Did Pope Benedict not celebrate Holy Mass in a multitude of languages in New York?

Bishop Lennon, by what right do you wish to close down our Hungarian parishes?  Has anyone from our parishes asked to be closed?  Have we done something to offend you? Have any of our parishes asked for support from the Diocese?  Or, are you planning on closing us because you have decreed it, therefore it is?  Shall THY will be done? 

St. Emeric is the church where my husband and I were married, where our children were baptized and first received the sacrament of Holy Communion.   Although our family lived in Michigan during the birth of our son, we felt it important that he be baptized at St. Emeric.  Even though my parents retired to Florida, my father chose to buried from St. Emeric.  My husband and his family attended St. Elizabeth Parish upon coming to America.

I believe strongly in telling the truth. In Communist Hungary, much to the detriment of their safety and financial interests, my parents made certain my sister and I were baptized and that I received the sacrament of Holy Communion. Our wonderful priest, who, by the way, very much like my father, was beaten to a pulp during the 1956 Revolution, told us children to always tell the truth. I also recall a passage from the Scriptures, which I now paraphrase, be hot or cold, but do not be lukewarm, for I will spit you out. Ergo, I now speak the truth, with passion, from my perspective. I fear nothing because I believe God is on my side.

In what misguided, delusional moment did you or anyone think that we would accept the unacceptable without a fight? There are the “fighting Irish” for certain; and then, there are the Hungarians, who have been conquered and slaughtered by the Turks, the Austrians, the Germans and the Russians. Yet, we survive.

Do you think our parents left Hungary for frivolous reasons? Why do you think they risked their lives and their children’s and came to America, a democratic country? We recognize that Catholicism is not a democracy, we cannot vote on the core essence of our faith. However, I believe we, and most especially you, Bishop, must respect the spirit of the law.

The good people who founded St. Emeric Parish entered into a covenant with the Diocese. The Diocese allowed our immigrant generations to work, to build the parish, and to continue to practice our faith.  In exchange, the Diocese owns everything we have.   But now, you want to redistribute everything we have. How unjust! The Diocese, apparently believes in the motto, “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” That quote is from the Communist manifesto.  Never in their wildest nightmare did anyone imagine, that we would be kicked out of our churches. This is clearly a flagrant breach of the covenant, by any standard, civil or Canon. You have the audacity to send letters which begin with “Dear Brothers in Christ”?  Is this what Jesus would do?

St. Elizabeth IS vibrant, St. Emeric IS vibrant  - you should come to some of our church functions to see for yourself.  Our churches are not only places of worship, but the centers of community life for many of our Hungarian-American activities, including our treasured youth, on whom our future depends. Do you seriously expect us to point the finger at which one of the parishes should be terminated?  For what reason? Do we not vibrate according to your “standards”? 

Why do you want to close our churches?  Fr. Antal is a wonderful, attentive, caring priest, as is Fr. Siklodi. We ask that our beloved churches be allowed to stay open, as long as we can support ourselves. These churches became the quintessential meaning of the Hungarian immigrant experience and the anchor for our faith.  We “displaced persons”, D.P.’s, refugees, clung together, like lost souls, attempting to adjust to a new language, new customs, new ways of dressing, new everything, after all that was stable and holy was left behind in the “old country”.

America welcomed us with open arms, promised and indeed delivered on the promise, as is guaranteed in our Bill of Rights, of the right to pursue happiness as well as the right to worship as we please. Would it not be tragically unjust and ironic that here, in the land of the free, where churches give shelter to illegal aliens, where everyone is allowed to do just about anything, our Hungarian churches would be shut down?

At the risk of being redundant, I must once again ask, WHY, why do you want to close us down?  Have you no heart? Has our religion become all about money? Is Catholicism and vibrancy about paying off molestation accusations and settling law suits? Did Christ not chase the moneychangers out of the temple?  Admittedly, this is not a perfect world, but should the Diocese of Cleveland not give Hungarians the same consideration that any other ethnic group receives?  Very much like our civil laws, do Canon laws not provide equal protection, regardless of race, color or ethnicity? Does the Church no longer care about minorities? We, Bishop, are a minority, the ethnic, Hungarian minority.

My soul cries out for justice! Every Hungarian, every immigrant, every citizen should join in my battle cry: Save our churches! Please, spare me, those of you who would caution me to keep silent, I will not, for we have nothing to lose! We recognize "malarkey" when we hear it, for we had enough malarkey in Hungary for a hundred lifetimes. You see, in Hungary, we could not speak openly, we had property confiscated,  we had to wear our Partisan red neck ties and march in the May Day parade. God and goodness was replaced by Stalin, or Lenin, or Rakosy or by whoever was ensconced in the inner circles, whoever would share the vision of the anointed.

Actions speak, words are cheap, no matter how eloquent, no matter the source. Is it not time to cry once more, as in 1848, as in 1956, Talpra Magyar? Shall we be slaves or shall we be free, this is the question, state your decree. by the God of Hungarians, we swear, we swear, the chains of slaves no more to bear. Even if those chains would be imposed by one misguided Irish bishop, we will not bear those chains. Oh, the injustice of it all!

So, because I have nothing to lose, I will speak and I will act. I will use the power of the internet. I have and will continue contact any and all politicians as well as the media, anyone who will listen.  We will not be led like sheep to the slaughter.  This battle is not just about freedom for us to worship in our mother tongues. Rather, this is about freedom to worship in any tongue, in any fashion, as is guaranteed by the Constitution of the greatest country on the face of the earth.

I have had the blessings of traveling, teaching and learning about foods and cultures of countries all over the world, including Spain.  I have no problem with Spanish people, I support their right to worship as they choose, and I love paella. But I also love gulyas and I demand to be allowed to enjoy my gulyas in Hungarian, and to worship with my people in our own beautiful language.

One "Irish fellow", named Bishop Lennon, will perhaps rue the day one Hungarian woman got very angry. I am so angry, I am beyond embarrassment. I will not give up. I owe this not only to myself but to all those who came before me, all those who sacrificed, who came over "on the boat"; I owe this to my mom, who worked at St Emeric's for 20 years, and to all those who continue to support and worship in our church.   I owe this to Mary Nemeth, the oldest member of our St. Emeric Parish. who is one the most wonderful human beings I know, the very same Mary Nemeth who comforts others after losing her two beloved sons.  Our parishioners only ask and pray that they be allowed a “natural death”, and, like my father, to have their own final mass in their church, in their own native tongue.

If it pleases your excellency, you may have Irish stew and green beer on St. Patties Day. It would really be beneath me and certainly against the laws of this great country to prevent the Irish One from doing so. Of course, your excellency, you may also do the Irish jig.  As long as you let me dance the csardas.

Most sincerely,

October 21, 2008

Frank Glowacki from New Orleans sent a clipping of the October 13, 2008 Metro with a note saying: "I am sending this clipping so you know we have the same problem here." The headlines in the paper read: "St. Henry's pastor says he won't leave church", "Pace of church mergers surprises some parishioners" and "Archdiocese preparing list of clergy reassignments" try looking at www.nola.com/news for additional details.

September 13, 2008

We have just seen the head trustee for the church on the front page of the Plain Dealer! Go to www.cleveland.com for details search for either Michalski or Casimir for details.