Judith Fenyvesi, Sister of Social Service: Leader/Activist in the USA in the aftermath of the Hungarian Holocaust and Communist Era

Type of Abstract (select):

Abstract (max. 250 words):
This presentation will detail the life of Sr. Judith Fenyvesi, Sister of Social Service, who was a leader and activist in the aftermath of the Hungarian Holocaust and Communist era. Some writers say that she was a “Woman of Courage and Light.” The amazing story of her life indeed reflects these two attributes. Sr. Judith was born into a prominent Jewish family in Salonta, Romania—a small village near the Hungarian border. This territory later became a tug of war between the two countries. Turning points in her life as they relate to Hungarian history will unfold in this presentation.

Some of the major events that shaped the life of Judith Fenyvesi include her conversion from Judaism to Catholicism; she worked in the Catholic resistance movement in an effort to maintain Religious freedom under Communist rule; when ties to Rome among priests and bishops were severed by the Communist regime, it was Sr. Judith who carried messages to the Papal Nuncio; she was later arrested and held for 28 months before she was sentenced to ten years in prison as a political prisoner. In 1964 Sr. Judith immigrated to the United States where she joined the Sisters of Social Service in Buffalo, NY. After completing a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s degree in the states, she created a social work program at Daemen College, eventually serving as its Director.

Perhaps the darkest and most painful event of her life was the annihilation of her entire family at Auschwitz. While she felt the guilt of survival for many years, Sr. Judith used the harsh realities of the Holocaust to fulfill a lifelong dream; that was, to work to alleviate human suffering and to give hope to those in darkness.

Fran Rossi Szpylczyn recently posted on a Pastoral blog the following, “What strikes me is that in Judith we find a woman, persecuted at many levels—for being a Jew, for being a woman religious, for being a Catholic. And even at her worst, she found the light of Christ to guide her on through many circumstances” (pastoralpostings.wordpress.com/tag/Judith-fenyvesi, 25 June 2013).


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Kathy DeRose, Ed. D. has worked at Duquesne University for the past 26 years and is currently Director of Continuing Professional Development in the School of Pharmacy. In addition she is the Assistant Director of the Post baccalaureate Weekend PharmD. Program. Dr. DeRose holds both Administrative and Instructor positions in the School of Pharmacy.

In her current position in the School of Pharmacy, she has developed an education methods rotation, a 12-credit academic concentration and currently works with Pharmacy Residents and Fellows in the teaching methods component of their residencies and fellowships. Her coursework includes: Service Learning, Teaching Methods for the Pharmacy Practitioner, Organizational Leadership, Conflict Resolution and Intro to Qualitative Research Methods.