Father Basil M. Rakaczky
1931-2019

PERTH AMBOY – The Very Rev. Father Basil M. Rakaczky O.S.B.M., Pastor Emeritus of St. Michael’s Byzantine Catholic Church in Perth Amboy died on April 9, 2019, at age 88, in Máriapócs, Hungary. 

Fr. Basil was born in Múcsony, Hungary in 1931. In 1948, he entered the Order of St. Basil the Great at Máriapócs. By 1950, the Communist government eliminated the nation’s religious orders, so he transferred to a Seminary in Eger, then to one in Nyíregyháza. Still a member of the Basilian Order, he was drafted to the Hungarian Army in 1952. In 1956, he was directed by his bishop to continue his studies in Rome. This was during the Soviet occupation of Hungary. Fr. Basil escaped Hungary along with another Basilian monk by crossing a freezing cold Rába River into Austria during the nighttime and under machine gunfire. Basil then went to Rome to finish his studies and was ordained into the priesthood on June 29, 1960. He received his licentiate in sacred theology in 1961.

Around 1960, Fr. Basil began his ministry briefly in Canada, and then went to the United States in 1964 he and 2 other Baslilan monks established a monastic community in Matawan, N.J. In February 1974, Fr. Basil was appointed Pastor of St. Michael’s Byzantine Catholic Church in Perth Amboy. Known as Father Basil, he served as pastor of St. Michael’s Church for 35 years.

Fr. Basil returned to Hungary in 1991 for 3 years after the fall of Communism. In the mid 1990’s, he came back to Perth Amboy as Pastor of St. Michaels until 2009, when he returned to Máriapócs.

Funeral services were held in Máriapócs, Hungary and he was buried in Máriapócs Cemetery. A Pontifical Divine Liturgy was held for Fr. Basil on Sunday, June 2, 2019 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Perth Amboy.

Source: (mycentraljersey.com May 30, 2019)