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

Németh Kálmán Gellért (OFM), Dr.

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Deceased

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Birth data:: Szamosújvár, Hungary — January 27, 1897
Death data:: Brownsville, NY, USA — March 26, 1966
Denomination:: Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical status:: diocesan
previously: religious
Diocese / Order:: ferences (Ordo Fratrum Minorum) (1931-ig) → Székelyudvarhely

Ordination level:: priest
Perpetual vows:: Medgyes, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Mediaș, Romania — April 29, 1917
Priestly ordination:: Romania — February 22, 1920

Biographical data

He began his secondary education in his hometown and completed it at the Franciscan seminary in Medgyes (1916); he completed his theological studies at the Franciscan Institute of Theology in Vajdahunyad (1919). On April 29, 1917, he took his solemn vows in Medgyes, and on February 22, 1920, he was ordained a priest. In 1931, he left the Franciscan Order and was incardinated into the Diocese of Székelyudvarhely. He was a member of the Pázmány Péter Society from 1938 onward. In 1941, following the return of the Southern Territories, he assisted in the resettlement of more than 10,000 people, and the town of Bácsjózseffalva was established. In 1945, he served as government commissioner for resettlement; in this capacity, he was sent to the United States to provide information on the situation in Hungary and to request assistance for refugees. Kálmán Németh informed the Americans about the true situation at home; as a result, he was sentenced to death in Hungary and was therefore unable to return home. He helped the Cleveland Boy Scouts establish a scout home, which he called the “Csángó Farm.” He was involved in numerous car accidents, and his death was the result of one of them.

Domestic service locations

From	To	Place i	Current name, country i	Position
1920	1922	Székelyudvarhely, Romania	Odorheiu Secuiesc	teacher
1922	1924	Fogaras, Romania	Făgăraș	teacher and preacher
1924	1931	Kolozsvár, Romania	Cluj-Napoca	vicar
1931	1945	Józseffalva, Romania	Vornicenii Mici	pastor (also serving Hadikfalva and Istensegíts)

Foreign service locations

From	To	Place	Church / institution	Position
1951		Elisabeth, NJ, USA		pastor
1952		McKeesport, PA, USA	Szent István R. K. Egyházközség	pastor
1953	1956	Brownsville, NY, USA		pastor
1957		McKeesport, PA, USA	Szent István R. K. Egyházközség	pastor
1958	1961	Brownsville, NY, USA		pastor
1962	1963	Adah, PA, USA		parish priest
1964	1966	Brownsville, NY, USA		pastor

Literary activity

A Hírnök (1926-28) és az illusztrált Katholikus Világ társszerkesztője (1926-30). Írásait közölte a Magyar Nép, Vasárnap, Jóbarát.; Kis uram, hogy volt? (Egy "komojodó" fiú feljegyzései. Szopos Sándor rajzaival. Kolozsvár, 1930); Égő hegy (Alkalmi sorok a kolozsvári Alvernáról. Mael Ferenccel és Pap Jánossy Bélával, Tomcsa Sándor illusztrációival. Kolozsvár, 1930); Százezer szív sikolt (Hazatért és hazavágyó magyarok verőfényes Golgotája. "Zenélő kút" Könyvműhely, Bácsjózseffalva, 1943).; Álnevei: Fegyverneki, Krónikás, Pukk Pál.

Life timeline

Birth

January 27, 1897

Szamosújvár, Hungary

Perpetual vows

April 29, 1917

Medgyes, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Mediaș, Romania

Priestly ordination

February 22, 1920

Romania

Service in the homeland

1920 – 1922

Székelyudvarhely, Romania, currently Odorheiu Secuiesc

teacher

Service in the homeland

1922 – 1924

Fogaras, Romania, currently Făgăraș

teacher and preacher

Service in the homeland

1924 – 1931

Kolozsvár, Romania, currently Cluj-Napoca

vicar

Service in the homeland

1931 – 1945

Józseffalva, Romania, currently Vornicenii Mici

pastor (also serving Hadikfalva and Istensegíts)

Service abroad

1951

Elisabeth, NJ, USA

pastor

Service abroad

1952

McKeesport, PA, USA

Szent István R. K. Egyházközség

pastor

Service abroad

1953 – 1956

Brownsville, NY, USA

pastor

Service abroad

1957

McKeesport, PA, USA

Szent István R. K. Egyházközség

pastor

Service abroad

1958 – 1961

Brownsville, NY, USA

pastor

Service abroad

1962 – 1963

Adah, PA, USA

parish priest

Service abroad

1964 – 1966

Brownsville, NY, USA

pastor

Death

March 26, 1966

Brownsville, NY, USA

Sources

http://mek.oszk.hu/03600/03628/html/n.htm#N%C3%A9methK✕
%C3%A1lm%C3%A1n,P.Gell%C3%A9rt;
MKL: Németh;
KMVÉ: 1951-1966.

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

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Citation for this entry

Németh Kálmán Gellért (OFM), 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=817 (accessed: 2026-09-13).

Last modified: June 29, 2026 09:48 | Opened: 12 times