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

Seregélly Emil

Seregélly Emil
Deceased
Birth data:
Sárközújlak, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Livada Mică, Romania — July 22, 1866
Death data:
Sárközújlak, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Livada Mică, Romania — April 22, 1910
Denomination:
Greek Catholic
Ecclesiastical status:
diocesan
Diocese / Order:
Munkács
Ordination level:
priest
Priestly ordination:
Munkács, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Mukacsevo (Мукачево), Ukraine — October 16, 1892
Biographical data
A Greek Catholic priest and pastor of the Greek Catholic Diocese of Munkács, who carried out missionary work among Hungarian and Rusyn Greek Catholic believers in the United States during the first decade of the 20th century. His father was József Seregély, a Greek Catholic priest, and his mother was Teréz Mária Voloscsuk. He completed his theological studies at the seminary in Uzhhorod. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Gyula Firczák of Munkács on October 16, 1892. He began his ministry as an assistant pastor in his native village, Sárközújlak (1892–1895), then in Bilke (1895–1897), and subsequently in Csepe (1897–1903). According to the parish registers of the time, during these years he primarily provided pastoral care to Rusyn- and Hungarian-speaking Greek Catholic parishioners. In 1905, the Greek Catholic Diocese of Munkács sent him to the United States, where he became the pastor of the Greek Catholic community in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. At that time, the town was a major industrial center for Hungarian, Rusyn, and other Central European immigrants, where a rapidly growing Greek Catholic community had formed. One of the significant events during his ministry in Charleroi was the tornado on April 27, 1907, which completely destroyed the wooden church built in 1899. Emil Seregély played a decisive role in organizing the reconstruction. According to the June 6, 1907, issue of the *Monessen Daily Independent*, the construction plans for the new church and the bids for the work were available for viewing at his address in Charleroi, which proves that he also oversaw the construction process. The new church, built of brick and stone, was completed by the end of that same year, ensuring the continuity of pastoral care for the congregation. During his ministry in the United States, he contributed to the joint pastoral care of Greek Catholic parishioners of various nationalities—Hungarians, Rusyns, and other Eastern European immigrants. His work coincided with a period of consolidation for Greek Catholic communities in the United States, when numerous new churches and parishes were established in the industrial regions of Pennsylvania. In early 1910, due to his health, he returned to his native village, where he passed away on April 22, 1910, at the age of only 43. His wife was Anna Berlányi (1874–1899), the daughter of István Berlányi, a Greek Catholic priest, and Amália Kaminszky. Their marriage was short-lived, as his wife died at a young age.
Domestic service locations
From To Place i Current name, country i Church / institution Position
1892 1895 Sárközújlak, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Livada Mică, Romania assistant pastor
1895 1897 Bilke, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Bilki (Білки), Ukraine parish priest
1896 1903 Csepe, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Csepa (Чепа), Ukraine parish priest
Foreign service locations
From To Place Current name, country Church / institution Position
1905 1910 Charleroi, PA, USA Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church parish priest who built the church
Life timeline
Birth
Sárközújlak, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Livada Mică, Romania
Priestly ordination
Munkács, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Mukacsevo (Мукачево), Ukraine
Service in the homeland
18921895
Sárközújlak, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Livada Mică, Romania
assistant pastor
Service in the homeland
18951897
Bilke, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Bilki (Білки), Ukraine
parish priest
Service in the homeland
18961903
Csepe, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Csepa (Чепа), Ukraine
parish priest
Service abroad
19051910
Charleroi, PA, USA
Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church
parish priest who built the church
Death
Sárközújlak, Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, currently Livada Mică, Romania
Sources
  • Munkács: 757.
  • Schematismus Venerabilis Cleri Dioecesis Munkacsiensis (1892–1910. évi kötetei).
  • Monessen Daily Independent (Monessen, Pennsylvania), 1907. június 6. – építési hirdetmény a charleroi-i görögkatolikus templom újjáépítéséről.
  • A charleroi-i Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church története (az egyházközség hivatalos történeti összefoglalója).
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Citation for this entry
Seregélly Emil: 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=987 (accessed: 2026-09-13).
Last modified: August 7, 2026 22:26 | Opened: 9 times