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

Bíró Gergely Lőrinc OFM

PDF export

Deceased

Birth data:: Zetelaka, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania — March 11, 1880
Death data:: Youngstown, OH, USA — June 20, 1946
Denomination:: Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical status:: religious
Diocese / Order:: ferences (Ordo Fratrum Minorum) (Kapisztrán kusztódia)

Ordination level:: priest
Entry into religious life:: September 8, 1896
Perpetual vows:: September 8, 1900
Priestly ordination:: December 22, 1902
Place of burial:: Kálvária-temető
Youngstown, OH, Hungary

Biographical data

He attended high school in Csíksomlyó. He entered the Franciscan Order on September 8, 1896. He completed his theological studies in Vajdahunyad and Paderborn (Germany). He took his perpetual vows on September 8, 1900, and was ordained a priest on December 22, 1902. He emigrated to the United States in 1922. He received U.S. citizenship on February 5, 1930.

Domestic service locations

From	To	Place	Country	Position
1902	1902	Székelyudvarhely	Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania	deacon
1902	1907	Medgyes	Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania	provincial secretary, catechist
1907	1912	Déva	Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania	Provincial secretary; also served as school principal in Dés from 1908 to 1914
1913	1915	Szék	Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania	house manager (including in Szamosújvár)
1915	1917	Medgyes	Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania	philosophy teacher and provincial secretary
1917	1924	Fogaras	Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania	house steward, defindor, and custodian

Foreign service locations

From	To	Place	Country	Church / institution	Position
1922	1924	Cleveland, OH	USA	Szent Erzsébet templom
1922	1946	South Bend, IN	USA		missionary pastor (in the U.S. and Baberton, OH, U.S.)
1924	1927	Barberton, OH	USA
1927	1930	South Bend, IN	USA
1931	1946	Youngstown, OH	USA	Saint Francis of Assisi Parish

Literary activity

Tabula Congregationis Provincialis. 1910, 1912-16.
Oer S.: Gyöngeségeink. Ford. Kolozsvár, 1911.
A dési r.k. elemi... isk értes. Dés, 1912.
A dési szt ferencrendi ktor tört. Kolozsvár, 1912.
Nefelejcs. Imakv. gyermekeknek. Uo., 1913. (7. kiad. 1944)
A bűnbánat útja. Ford. Uo., 1914.
A dési r.k. fiú- és a Miasszonyunkról nev. szegény isk-nővérek vezetése alatt álló leányisk. értes. Dés, 1915.
A Szt Háromságról nev. babertoni r.k. m. hitközs. évkv-e. Cleveland, 1925.
A South Bend-i Szt Istvánról nev. r.k. m. hitközs. évkv-e az Úrnak 1927, 1928, 1929. esztendejéről. South Bend, 1928-30.

Life timeline

Birth

March 11, 1880

Zetelaka, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania

Entry into religious life

September 8, 1896

Perpetual vows

September 8, 1900

Priestly ordination

December 22, 1902

Service in the homeland

1902 – 1902

Székelyudvarhely, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania

deacon

Service in the homeland

1902 – 1907

Medgyes, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania

provincial secretary, catechist

Service in the homeland

1907 – 1912

Déva, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania

Provincial secretary; also served as school principal in Dés from 1908 to 1914

Service in the homeland

1913 – 1915

Szék, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania

house manager (including in Szamosújvár)

Service in the homeland

1915 – 1917

Medgyes, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania

philosophy teacher and provincial secretary

Service in the homeland

1917 – 1924

Fogaras, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Romania

house steward, defindor, and custodian

Service abroad

1922 – 1946

South Bend, IN, USA

missionary pastor (in the U.S. and Baberton, OH, U.S.)

Service abroad

1922 – 1924

Cleveland, OH, USA

Szent Erzsébet templom

Service abroad

1924 – 1927

Barberton, OH, USA

Service abroad

1927 – 1930

South Bend, IN, USA

Service abroad

1931 – 1946

Youngstown, OH, USA

Saint Francis of Assisi Parish

Death

June 20, 1946

Youngstown, OH, USA

Sources

MKL: Bíró
MKL: Youngstowni Szent István egyházközség
MKL: South Bend
Máté: 204.
Török: 68, 282, 400.
Shvoy: 147.
Kusztódia
https://www.myheritage.hu/research/collection-10693/us-naturalization-record-index-northern-illinois-1840-1950?itemId=120562-&action=showRecord&recordTitle=Lawrence+Gregory+Biro#fullscreen A fénykép mesterséges intelligencia (chatgpt.com) segítségével javítva lett. Az Erdélyi Ferences Gyűjtőlevéltár információi alapján✓

Images

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

Related persons

Similar and related clergy

Citation for this entry

Bíró Gergely Lőrinc OFM: 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=82 (accessed: 2026-04-05).