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

Gerencsér Pál István Sch.P, dr.

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Deceased

Birth data:: Kolozsvár, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Cluj-Napoca, Romania — May 27, 1913
Death data:: Williamsville, NY, USA — July 21, 1993
Denomination:: Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical status:: religious
Diocese / Order:: piarista (Ordo Clericorum Regularium Pauperum Matris Dei Scholarum Piarum)

Ordination level:: priest
Entry into religious life:: Vác, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary — August 27, 1929
Perpetual vows:: September 15, 1935
Priestly ordination:: June 12, 1938
Place of burial:: Saint Vincent de Paul Cemetery
Derby, NY, USA
Other name used:: Gelencsér

Biographical data

His religious name: Saint Ignatius of Loyola. His parents were Dr. István Gerencsér and Jolán Szánthó; he had two siblings. He entered the order in Vác on August 27, 1929. He took his final vows on September 15, 1935. He was ordained a priest on June 12, 1938. He earned his doctorate in 1938. He left the country in 1946.

Domestic service locations

From	To	Place i	Current name, country i	Position
1939	1940	Debrecen, Kingdom of Hungary	Hungary	teacher
1940	1941	Kolozsvár, Kingdom of Hungary	Cluj-Napoca, Romania	teacher
1943	1945	Nagykanizsa, Kingdom of Hungary	Hungary	teacher

Foreign service locations

From	To	Place	Church / institution	Position
1948	1950	Los Angeles, CA, USA	Szent István R. K. Egyházközség	assistant pastor
1952	1960	Derby, NY, USA
1967	1981	Buffalo, NY, USA		founding director
1988	1989	Lackawanna, PA, USA
1989	1993	Buffalo, NY, USA

Literary activity

A filozófus Pázmány. Bp., 1937. (Palaestra Calasanctiana 19. és Tanulm-ok a M. Szellemiség és Erkölcsök Tört-éből 1.) A szerzetesség dogmatikai értelme. Uo., 1938. (Palaestra Calasanctiana 23.)

Downloadable literary works

A filozófus Pázmány (768,3 KB)

Life timeline

Birth

May 27, 1913

Kolozsvár, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Entry into religious life

August 27, 1929

Vác, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary

Perpetual vows

September 15, 1935

Priestly ordination

June 12, 1938

Service in the homeland

1939 – 1940

Debrecen, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary

teacher

Service in the homeland

1940 – 1941

Kolozsvár, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Cluj-Napoca, Romania

teacher

Service in the homeland

1943 – 1945

Nagykanizsa, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary

teacher

Service abroad

1948 – 1950

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Szent István R. K. Egyházközség

assistant pastor

Service abroad

1952 – 1960

Derby, NY, USA

Service abroad

1967 – 1981

Buffalo, NY, USA

founding director

Service abroad

1988 – 1989

Lackawanna, PA, USA

Service abroad

1989 – 1993

Buffalo, NY, USA

Death

July 21, 1993

Williamsville, NY, USA

Sources

KMVÉ: 1951-1989
Léh-Koltai: 127.
Török: 201, 417.
MKL: Gerencsér
ABTL: HU - ÁBTL - I. - 2.2.1. - IV/1 Külföldön élő személyek kartonjai, 900.
https://www.myheritage.hu/research/collection-1/myheritage-csaladfak?itemId=677524331-2-500014&action=showRecord&recordTitle=Istv%C3%A1n+Gerencs%C3%A9r✓
http://buffalonews.com/1993/08/25/mass-set-for-rev-stephen-gerencser/✕
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175418209/stephen-gerencser/photo✕

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Places related to this person on the map

● birth ● priestly ordination ● domestic service ● foreign service ● death ● burial

Related persons

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Citation for this entry

Gerencsér Pál István Sch.P, dr.: 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=320 (accessed: 2026-07-07).

Last modified: May 28, 2026 10:52 | Opened: 67 times