Hungarian Americans of Cleveland
Cleveland Press Articles
Magyar Presbyterians List 1200 on Roll
Cleveland Press, Dec. 10, 1956
The proper spot for this reporter was a Hungarian church. I almost changed my mind after consulting the All-Nationalities directory, compiled by Theodore Andrica of The Press.
I discovered there are 13 Hungarian churches in the metropolitan area-three Roman Catholic, two Catholic churches of the Byzantine Rite and the balance Protestants.
That's how it happens I chose the Hungarian Presbyterian Church in the Buckeye Rd. district yesterday morning. I passed some of the other 12 churches as I paid off an old debt.
They were: St. Elizabeth's Buckeye Rd. and E. 90th St.; St. Margaret, 2927 E. 116th St.; St. John's Byzantine Rite Church, 9514 Buckeye Rd.; First Hungarian Reformed, 2836 East Blvd.; First Hungarian Lutheran, 2836 East Blvd., and the Church of God, 9722 Buckeye Rd.
The pastor at the Presbyterian Church thus gets a delayed salute. He is the Rev. Stephen W. Csutoros, who has served as minister since 1929. His father was the Rev. Alexander Csutoros, who was minister of the West Side Hungarian Reformed Church and the East Side church.
The cornerstone of the Presbyterian Church bears the date 1918 and that has some association with the history of Pastor Csutoros, who four years later was graduated from West Point.
There came a time in his career then he had to decide to remain in the Army or take up the ministry in the steps of his father. He selected the church and for more than 25 years had been active in religious and civic affairs in the Buckeye Rd. area.
There are two services at First Magyar Church-one at 10 a. m. in English and the other at 11 a.m. in Hungarian. I attended the former, which was attended mostly by younger members of the congregation.
The older folks came to the Hungarian service and Pastor Csutoros urged me to stay with the promise the seniors would furnish some fine singing. He was right.
First Hungarian Presbyterian Church has grown from a small membership 25 years ago to a present enrollment of more than 1200. A church school unit has been added to the building and the interior of the sanctuary equipped with new and modern furniture.
The Hungarian service yesterday morning was broadcast over the radio. I was informed some of Pastor Csutoros' sermons have been carried on radio programs in Europe.
