Clara Unk KOCSIS

20 JUN 1933 - 4 JUL 2015

• BIRTH: 20 JUN 1933, Marqota, Hungary
• DEATH: 4 JUL 2015, South Bend, St Joseph, IN

• MARRIAGE: 6 DEC 1953, Marqota, Hungary

INDEX

[N26227] Clara E. Kocsis
June 20, 1933 - July 4, 2015

SOUTH BEND - Clara E. Kocsis, 82, of South Bend, Indiana, passed away unexpectedly on July 4, 2015. Born on June 20, 1933, in Hungary, Clara is survived by loving husband of 62 years, Laszlo Kocsis; children, Gabriella (Ted) Richarson, Kinga (Dave)...

Todays Catholic
SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 // LOCAL
Bishop Rhoades celebrates marriage at annual anniversary Mass

SOUTH BEND - Celebrating couples reaching milestone anniversaries in their marriage, the annual Anniversary Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades was held on Sunday, Sept. 22, at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend.

One couple celebrating a special anniversary this year is Laszlo and Clara Kocsis. They were married on Dec. 6, 1953 in Marqota, Hungary, and celebrating their 60th anniversary. The couple was married during communist rule in the small town where Clara grew up. “At the time many couples didn’t want their names recorded in the church marriage book for fear of repercussions from the government. When the priest asked my husband if he wanted our names recorded, he gave a resounding, ‘Yes, Father.’ I knew that I had married a man of principle,” said Clara. The couple settled down and began a family, but they feared for their safety. Lazlo had served with the freedom fighters during the war and had even been a prisoner. Under government oppression and often persecution of Christians, Lazlo and Clara dreamed of a better life for their growing family. Lazlo had several cousins in South Bend and they decided to leave everything they had ever known and migrate to the United States. “At the time the United States government was eager to help people escape from communist rule,” said Lazlo. “If you had a sponsor to help you, like we did, it made the process go faster.” In fact the couple and their two small children, Gabriella and Kinga spent a month in Austria and Germany and then were able to come to the United States. “What a surprise it was to arrive in an open society. It was so different coming from a communist society. We arrived with the clothes on our backs and two small bags for the children. We were ready to start a new life,” said Clara. “It was a very brave thing my parents did for our family,” said Gabriella, the couple’s oldest daughter. “To leave all they knew behind to come to another country to make a better life for us, my brothers and sisters and I know how lucky we are to have parents like them.” Lazlo and Clara have five children, 11 grandchildren, and they recently all visited Prince Edward Island together to celebrate the couple’s anniversary. “It was a wonderful trip,” said Clara. “We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family.” The couple credits their long marriage to “our faith in God and our similar backgrounds. We both grew up with the same faith and family values. We are lucky and we have been blessed,” said Lazlo. “It’s special to celebrate this anniversary,” Clara said. “We are happy to have our marriage blessed again at the special Mass.”