Historical directory of Hungarian, Hungarian-descended, and Hungarian-speaking clergy serving abroad

Csáktornyai László

Csáktornyai László
Left ministry
Birth data:
Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary — August 30, 1890
Death data:
Los Angeles, CA, USA — July 8, 1964
Denomination:
Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical status:
diocesan
Diocese / Order:
Esztergom-Budapest (korábban: Esztergom)
Ordination level:
priest
Priestly ordination:
June 21, 1914
Other name used:
Gamauf László
Biographical data
He was ordained a priest on June 21, 1914. On May 2, 1921, Archbishop János Csernoch of Esztergom requested permission from the Vatican Nunciature in Hungary for him to go to the United States to study. He arrived in the United States in 1921. In 1926—like his brother—he left the priesthood, married, and worked as a music teacher in Cleveland, OH. In 1923, he published an American-Hungarian music and songbook. He received his citizenship on June 22, 1924. On December 30, 1926, he married Irene Messersmith.
Domestic service locations
From To Place i Current name, country i Church / institution Position
1914 Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Hungary religious educator
1915 Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Hungary Krisztus Király templom (Rákócziánum) singing teacher and choir director of the Szent László Society in Budapest-Angyalföld
1916 1918 Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Hungary VI. kerület religious educator
1918 1921 Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary Hungary II. kerület religious educator
Foreign service locations
From To Place Current name, country Church / institution Position
1922 1923 Detroit, MI, USA Szent Kereszt R. K. Egyházközség assistant pastor
1923 1926 Cleveland, OH, USA assistant pastor
Literary activity
több énekeskönyvet jelentetett meg
Life timeline
Birth
Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
Priestly ordination
Service in the homeland
Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
religious educator
Service in the homeland
Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
Krisztus Király templom (Rákócziánum)
singing teacher and choir director of the Szent László Society in Budapest-Angyalföld
Service in the homeland
19161918
Budapest, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
VI. kerület
religious educator
Service in the homeland
19181921
Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary
II. kerület
religious educator
Service abroad
19221923
Detroit, MI, USA
Szent Kereszt R. K. Egyházközség
assistant pastor
Service abroad
19231926
Cleveland, OH, USA
assistant pastor
Death
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Sources
Images
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Citation for this entry
Csáktornyai László: personal record. In: Historical directory of Hungarian, Hungarian-descended, and Hungarian-speaking clergy serving abroad. Available at: https://www.diaszporalelkipasztorok.hu/persons_v2/view.php?id=143 (accessed: 2026-07-07).
Last modified: April 24, 2026 13:15 | Opened: 94 times