Blessed Stephen Sándor
The Finding of the Relic
SDB
“He remained a shining sign of Christian hope in a world that had known so much suffering and injustice.”
– Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni SDB, Postulator
“From obscurity to light”
The timeline below shows the journey from the first searches to the dignified placement of the relics.
It is a story of hope, the uncovering of truth, and a testimony that God’s people never abandon their witnesses.
The Story of the Finding of the Relics
June 8, 1953.
István Sándor is executed after a show trial in the Fő Street prison, and then buried in an unmarked grave in the New Public Cemetery of Rákoskeresztúr.
1992
János Sándor, the martyred brother, begins the search for his brother’s gravesite.
2006
The diocesan phase of the beatification process begins. At this stage, research does not yet yield results regarding the exact location of his grave.
October 13, 2013.
Pope Francis proclaims the martyrdom of István Sándor, and he is beatified in Budapest. At that time, no relic is presented yet—only his personal belongings are displayed.
2012–2018
Archival research: Historian Judit Varga Bertáné uncovers the trial documents in the Historical Archives of the State Security Services.
November 12, 2018.
Anthropological and genetic examinations are conducted at the National Institute of Forensic Experts and Research. Under the leadership of expert Eszter Dudás, DNA identification successfully confirms that one of the remains belongs to Blessed István Sándor.
March 27, 2019.
At a press conference, the sensational news is announced: the relics of Blessed István Sándor have been found and identified.
October 25, 2019.
At plot 301, during a solemn ceremony, Cardinal Péter Erdő blesses the memorial site of the martyr. His fellow martyrs are also reburied in a common coffin.
June 4, 2022.
The relics of Blessed István Sándor are solemnly placed in the Clarisseum, where he once served and from where he was taken away.
Where We Can Venerate Him Today
The relics of Blessed István Sándor are kept today in the Clarisseum of Újpest—where he once lived, worked, and served the youth. The church has since become a place of pilgrimage: his relics were solemnly enshrined there on June 4, 2022.
We respectfully invite you to personally visit the Clarisseum, to enter into silence near his relics, and to ask for the intercession of Blessed István Sándor for your family, your vocation, and your community.
“He became the sign of the unmarked.” – The witness of István Sándor still shines today for those who seek to live in fidelity and love.
