CONNEAUT — Medical missions of mercy that have improved the health for many people in Eastern Europe have earned the Rev. Stephen Szilagyi of Conneaut the highest civilian honor bestowed by the Ukraine.

Szilagyi,74, was given the country’s Order For Merit 3rd Class during a ceremony July 8 at the Ukrainian embassy in Washington D.C. The medal was bestowed by Ambassador Oleh Shamshur in a ceremony attended by the Szilagyis’ family and embassy officials and staff.

Szilagyi, now retired, is founder and executive director of Sharing America’s Resources Aboard, which has provided medical equipment, supplies and expertise to the Ukraine and other countries for more than a decade.

The medal, authorized by President Viktor Yushchenko, was given in recognition of Szilagyi’s “significant personal contribution to the strengthening of Ukraine’s authority in the world, promotion of its history and cultural heritage,” according to a statement from the embassy.

“He has been very active in helping to establish long-term cooperation between the medical institutions of the two countries,” according to the statement.

Order For Merit 3rd Class is given to “renowned state, political and public figures, men of arts, men of letters, scientists (and others),” according to documents.

The medal is the latest in a series of accolades given Szilagyi and his wife, Jean, for their work with SARA, founded in 1996. Through their efforts, doctors in the Ukraine, Hungary and other locations around the world have received training from American physicians and surgeons on the latest medical techniques.

Tons and tons of surplus medical equipment, including ambulances, have been dispatched to many corners of the globe. Medicine, too, have been sent to foreign hospitals.

SARA has also arranged for people, including children, to visit America for specialized treatment not available in their homeland.

Szilagyi, born in Hungary and now a naturalized American citizen, enjoys unprecedented access to government officials in Eastern Europe. One telephone call from Szilagyi can slice through red tape and bureaucracy.

“It’s more important to know the president’s chief of staff than the president himself,” he said, laughing.

Szilagyi wishes he had the same influence here in the United States. With few exceptions, state and national representatives seem uninterested in assisting SARA, he said.

“I am somewhat disappointed that with our good deeds we have not heard from the White House,” Szilagyi said. “I would enjoy meeting President Bush and hearing him say ‘How can I help you?’”

The big exception has been U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, who has interceded on behalf of SARA in the past, Szilagyi said.

Szilagyi’s partner in SARA and life is wife Jean, who he said deserves tremendous credit for the program’s accomplishments. “I’m very grateful to the person who helps me the most — my wife,” he said.