Blessed
Stephen Sándor
salesian lay brother, martyr
SDB
Blessed Stephen Sándor
Life and memory
Blessed Stephen Sándor (1914–1953) was a Hungarian Salesian who dedicated his life to the education of young people. Despite the persecution of the communist regime, he remained faithful to his mission and suffered martyrdom in 1953. Born in Szolnok, he initially worked as a turner, then entered the Salesian community, where he devoted himself to the formation of the youth. In 2013, Pope Francis beatified him, and his memory is celebrated on June 8. His life is a model of faith and courage for educators and Christians alike.
Blessed Stephen Sándor
In numbers
Years of life
Years as a religious
Days in prison
Hours of interrogation
Blessed Stephen Sándor
Prayer Movement
The goal of the prayer movement is to support the canonization of Blessed Stephen Sándor through prayer, and to ask for his intercession for young people and new vocations. The prayers of the movement include: the canonization prayer, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory Be.
How can you join?
No registration is needed to join the prayer movement. All it takes is a personal decision and a daily offering: to pray regularly for these intentions.
Special prayer time
Every Monday at 9:10 p.m. – the time of Blessed Stephen Sándor’s execution – we can hold a special time of prayer. During this time, we may also say personal prayers for young people, vocations, and our own intentions, asking for his intercession.
Let us unite in prayer, so that by following his example, our faith and commitment to the education of youth may grow stronger!
“The beatification of Stephen Sándor is a moral and spiritual compensation for the Church and for the Hungarian nation. Moreover, it is of great importance for Hungarian youth, who need a patron capable of generous sacrifice and an exemplary model who teaches the uncompromising fulfillment of duty, bearing conscious witness to one’s faith.”
— Pierluigi Cameroni, SDB
Blessed Stephen Sándor
Book
Il martire del Vangelo della gioia
P. Pierluigi Cameroni
Blessed Stephen Sándor
Relics
After extensive research, in 2018 the earthly remains of Blessed Stephen Sándor were successfully exhumed and identified in Parcel 301 of the New Rákoskeresztúr Cemetery in Budapest. The relics were officially recognized in 2019, and since then, his bones have been placed in various places of worship.
In Budapest, the reliquary located in the Church of Saint Stephen the King – Clarisseum was blessed on June 4, 2022, by Ángel Fernández Artime, Rector Major of the Salesians. Additionally, on October 19, 2023, marking the 10th anniversary of his beatification, a relic was enshrined in the church of Mezőnyárád during a solemn Mass.
These sacred places offer the faithful the opportunity to honor Blessed Stephen Sándor and to pray for his intercession.
Blessed
StephenSándor
salesian lay brother, martyr
