Sisters reflect on helping rebuild Hungarian Church after Communism

By Simone Hoedel (published in the Prairie Messenger Oct. 23, 1995)

REGINA--When Dominican Sisters Juliana and Elizabeth Barilla were growing up in the '20s and '30s on a farm north of Grayson, Sask., they spoke their parents' native Hungarian language. In fact, they were forbidden to speak English at home.

Many years later they were grateful for it. Last year they were approached by Sister Lucianne Siers to teach English to seminarians in Hungary. Siers is the coordinator of volunteers for the U.S. Bishops' Office to aid the Catholic Church in central and eastern Europe.

"The reason they approached us," said Sister Elizabeth, "is because we know the language--read, write or speak."

The church is rebuilding in formerly communist central and eastern Europe, where for many years, as in Hungary, it was high treason to say mass. One of the places they started was in education. "They believe they have to have educated leaders for tomorrow," said Sister Elizabeth.

Sisters Juliana and Elizabeth taught English to 44 Greek Catholic priest candidates in Nyiregyhaza in northeast Hungary from November 1994 to May 1995.' Greek Catholicism differs from Roman Catholicism mainly in its rites, which are more elaborate, and the fact that Greek Catholic priests are allowed to marry.

Learning English is important for the seminarians because English is the universal language, especially for getting into universities, said Sister Elizabeth. "All the documents that come out of Rome, for example, are written in two languages: English and Latin."

But the sisters, who both belong to a teaching order of nuns and have been teaching in the U.S. most of their lives, faced some new and difficult circumstances in their new teaching mission in Hungary. The most challenging part of their time there, said Sister Juliana, was the lack of materials.

"When we arrived, these students didn't have anything - there were two or three to a book," said Sister Juliana, who admired St. Margaret of Hungary as a child. "The cost for books is not the same as they are here. It's big money because the wages are so low for the people."

The Barillas finally used their own money to buy textbooks and dictionaries from the international language bookstore for their students.

Many of the men, especially from Ukraine or Romania, could not write legibly because they grew up without paper or pencil, according to the sisters, which is why the seminary exams are oral. "It makes your heart ache for these wonderful men, who have so many obstacles to learning and to a good education," wrote Sister Elizabeth to her family last December. "Yet they are determined to win."

Much of the meagre financial aid for the seminary school in Hungary comes from ex-refugee priests who escaped Hungary during the "persecution years," when the communists drove the Catholic Church underground and out of the country.

"This is one of the beautiful things," said Sister Elizabeth. "There were these priests who were ordained underground somehow during the persecution years. These refugee priests who have been getting money from the free world are the ones who are paying for the education of these Greek Catholic priests.

"They ran away in the '50s. Now they're old and retired and spending their time helping the church in Hungary," said Sister Elizabeth. "It's magnificent!"

Sister Elizabeth wrote back to her brothers and sisters in Canada last March about how the priests were trained during the persecution years: "Today I got an insight into how the seminarians were trained during the 40 years of occupation. A priest who lived through this time told me the story.

"In the prison camp in Siberia there were a lot of young Hungarian men and priests and university professors. One of the priests organized a college curriculum for the young men. They had a humane overseer who even helped them get books.

"However, he told them they must do their assigned labour (woodcutting) first, which they did. Then they had classes and study and exams. Their diplomas and marks were written on cigarette paper (the only paper they had) and they continued their education in Italy, Spain, England, Ireland, Austria, Canada and the U.S. (where their credentials were accepted). God's watch over his church is great! Praise God" (from a letter dated Mar. 8, 1995).

"What amazes me is how much the church has done in the past four or five years," said Sister Elizabeth.

"This young priest said to me: 'The church was planning. They saw which way the wind was blowing, and they had a plan. As soon as the curtain went down, we jumped in with both feet and we've been running as fast as we can ever since.' "

"But there's so much to be done," said Sister Elizabeth.

"We're just scratching the surface," added Sister Juliana.