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

Kasztovszky Imre

Kasztovszky Imre
Deceased
Birth data:
Jobbágyi, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary — November 6, 1890
Death data:
Vác, Hungary — May 19, 1974
Denomination:
Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical status:
diocesan
Diocese / Order:
Vác
Ordination level:
priest
Priestly ordination:
Vác, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary — May 21, 1916
Biographical data
He completed his secondary education in Budapest and Kalocsa. He then entered the Society of Jesus, and the order sent him to Innsbruck to continue his studies. He has been a member of the Diocese of Vác since 1915. He was ordained a priest on May 21, 1916. In 1927, he left for the United States, but fell ill on several occasions, so he returned to Hungary multiple times and eventually settled there permanently. He was placed on retirement in 1943; his relatives took him in, but he lived in near poverty. His house in Pásztó was destroyed during the war, so in 1946 he requested reinstatement, but it was denied; he was given a parsonage in Vác, where he lived until his death. The Chicago memorial book remembers him as follows: “Fr. Kasztovszky could not get used to the American way of life. It always remained strange to him that on the north side of the city, the faithful lived scattered far apart from one another in all directions. He was a priest of exemplary life and an excellent orator, but the English language remained a barrier for him in reaching the larger group of parishioners.” Since he did not receive an official position, he undertook pastoral assistance. According to records, even in his seventies, he would cycle to Vác-Deákvár every week to celebrate Mass. In Chicago, IL, his memory is preserved by a traveling trophy, which is awarded to the young person who recites most beautifully.
Domestic service locations
From To Place i Current name, country i Church / institution Position
1916 1917 Mindszent, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Hungary assistant pastor
1916 1917 Újhartyán, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Hungary assistant pastor
1917 tól Cibakháza, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Hungary assistant pastor
1917 től Mindszent, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Hungary assistant pastor
1917 től Lajosmizse, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Hungary assistant pastor
1918 tól Kiskunmajsa, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Hungary assistant pastor (reprimanded by the diocesan bishop due to disputes with his parish priest)
1919 Kiskunhalas, Kingdom of Hungary Hungary assistant pastor
1919 től Csongrád, Kingdom of Hungary Hungary religious educator
1921 1923 Kecskemét, Kingdom of Hungary Hungary assistant pastor
1923 től Pestújhely, Kingdom of Hungary Budapest _XV. kerület, Hungary religious educator
1924 tól Cegléd, Kingdom of Hungary Hungary religious educator
1925 Ceglédbércel, Kingdom of Hungary Hungary administrator
1926 Diósjenő, Kingdom of Hungary Hungary the first pastor of the newly established parish
1932 1933 Kingdom of Hungary Hungary on sick leave
1938 1946 Pásztó, Kingdom of Hungary Hungary on sick leave, assistant pastor
1946 1974 Vác, Hungary retired (according to Diós: Nagymaros)
Foreign service locations
From To Place Current name, country Church / institution Position
1927 Amboy, NJ, USA Assistant Pastor, and Woodbridge, VI
1927 1928 Erie, PA, USA
1928 1929 Windber, PA, USA
1934 Cleveland, OH, USA Szent Erzsébet R. K. Egyházközség assistant pastor
1934 1938 Chicago, IL, USA Szent István R. K. Egyházközség parish priest
Life timeline
Birth
Jobbágyi, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
Priestly ordination
Vác, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary
Service in the homeland
19161917
Mindszent, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
assistant pastor
Service in the homeland
19161917
Újhartyán, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
assistant pastor
Service in the homeland
1917 – től
Mindszent, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
assistant pastor
Service in the homeland
1917 – tól
Cibakháza, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
assistant pastor
Service in the homeland
1917 – től
Lajosmizse, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
assistant pastor
Service in the homeland
1918 – tól
Kiskunmajsa, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Hungary
assistant pastor (reprimanded by the diocesan bishop due to disputes with his parish priest)
Service in the homeland
Kiskunhalas, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary
assistant pastor
Service in the homeland
1919 – től
Csongrád, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary
religious educator
Service in the homeland
19211923
Kecskemét, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary
assistant pastor
Service in the homeland
1923 – től
Pestújhely, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Budapest _XV. kerület, Hungary
religious educator
Service in the homeland
1924 – tól
Cegléd, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary
religious educator
Service in the homeland
Ceglédbércel, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary
administrator
Service in the homeland
Diósjenő, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary
the first pastor of the newly established parish
Service abroad
Amboy, NJ, USA
Assistant Pastor, and Woodbridge, VI
Service abroad
19271928
Erie, PA, USA
Service abroad
19281929
Windber, PA, USA
Service in the homeland
19321933
Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary
on sick leave
Service abroad
Cleveland, OH, USA
Szent Erzsébet R. K. Egyházközség
assistant pastor
Service abroad
19341938
Chicago, IL, USA
Szent István R. K. Egyházközség
parish priest
Service in the homeland
19381946
Pásztó, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary
on sick leave, assistant pastor
Service in the homeland
19461974
Vác, Hungary
retired (according to Diós: Nagymaros)
Death
Vác, Hungary
Sources
  • Váci Egyházmegyei Levéltár – Personalia 199/6
  • A Váczi Egyházmegye történelmi névtára II., Vácz, 1917. 793.;
  • Váci Egyházmegyei Almanach, Vác, 1970., 310.;
  • Diós: 255.;
  • Török: 101, 310.;
  • Máté: 211.;
  • Shvoy: 127.;
  • A Chicago-i Római Katolikus Magyarok Emlékkönyve, Chicago, 2004., szerk: Vas László, 12.
  • Chicago és Környéke, 1974-09-14., pp. 2.;
  • Kecskeméti Közlöny, 1926-06-19., pp.3.
Images
Photo
Click an image to enlarge. Navigation: ← →, close: Esc.
Places related to this person on the map
birth priestly ordination domestic service foreign service death burial
Similar and related clergy
Citation for this entry
Kasztovszky Imre: 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=505 (accessed: 2026-07-07).
Last modified: June 1, 2026 15:16 | Opened: 77 times