Szent Mihály G. K. Egyházközség

St. Michael’s Hungarian Greek Catholic Church in Perth Amboy is one of the oldest and longest-standing Hungarian Greek Catholic parishes in the United States. The community was founded in the early 20th century among Hungarian and Ruthenian Greek Catholic immigrants who had settled in the state of New Jersey. Initially, the faithful received pastoral care in Hungarian on an occasional basis. Father Viktor Kovalszky celebrated the Divine Liturgy for them on several occasions. The growing community purchased a plot of land in 1914, and their first St. Michael’s Church was consecrated in 1915. The parish house was completed in 1916, and in 1917 they purchased five hold of land for a cemetery. During the interwar period, the community continued to grow. Under the leadership of Under the leadership of Father Miklós Szabó, a new church was built in 1932, and a building was also purchased for the nuns. Following World War II, Father Albert Gajdos took over the leadership of the parish. During his tenure, significant construction projects were carried out: a new school and auditorium were built, which were consecrated by Nicholas Elko in 1955. Education was provided by the Daughters of Divine Love at the eight-grade parish school. A new convent was also built for the community, which was blessed in 1968. The parish reached one of its golden ages in the 1950s. The school’s first kindergarten class graduated in 1958, and the church and parish became one of the major centers of Hungarian Greek Catholic religious and cultural life in the United States. In 1973, Dean-Pastor Albert Gajdos passed away. After a brief transitional period, Father Rakaczky Baszil, OSBM, took over as pastor in February 1974. The Basilian monk, originally from Hungary, led the community for more than three decades. During his tenure, significant renovations were carried out, retreats and pilgrimages were organized, and visits by Greek Catholic church leaders from Hungary took place. A few years after the fall of communism, he returned to Hungary, then in the mid-1990s he served again in Perth Amboy until 2009. He passed away in Máriapócs in 2019. The year 1985 marked a turning point in the life of the community when—as was the case with most Byzantine Catholic schools in the United States—the parish school closed. Religious education, however, did not cease but continued with the involvement of lay catechists. In 1989, the church celebrated its 75th anniversary, on which occasion a comprehensive renovation was carried out and a heritage room showcasing the history of the parish was established. By the beginning of the 21st century, the use of the Hungarian language had gradually receded into the background, but the parish continued to exist. The church continues to operate today as part of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic. The community is no longer composed exclusively of parishioners of Hungarian descent but also brings together Slovak, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, and other Byzantine Catholic families. In 2025, St. Michael’s Church was listed as an active parish in the diocese’s official registry.