István Kaszap

In July 1934, István Kaszap entered the Jesuit novitiate in Budapest (in the Zugliget district, at the Manréza). He committed himself to this new life with total fervor, seeking to unite himself with Christ through humility, fraternal charity, and intense prayer. Unfortunately, as early as December 1934, he was struck by a serious viral infection that caused a high fever and painful abscesses all over his body. In March 1935, his condition became critical, and he had to undergo major surgery in Székesfehérvár. Despite the excruciating suffering associated with his treatment, he displayed heroic patience that edified those around him. Although he was able to return briefly to the novitiate in July, his wounds quickly reopened. In November 1935, faced with the deterioration of his health, the novice master was forced, with a heavy heart, to send him back to his family to recover, with the promise of welcoming him back as soon as he was healed. Upon returning to his parents' home, he underwent a tonsillectomy in the hope of removing the source of the infection, but a tumor quickly developed in his throat. Admitted to Saint George's Hospital in Székesfehérvár, he underwent an emergency laryngotomy. Despite the procedure, he gradually suffocated. On December 17, 1935, at the age of 19, he rendered his soul to God. No longer able to speak, he left a final written message on his bedside table for his parents: "Goodbye. We will meet again up there. Do not cry, it is my heavenly birthday. May the good Lord bless you."

From the moment his death was announced, the reputation for holiness of the young Jesuit spread rapidly throughout Hungary. His grave, initially located in the Sóstó cemetery, immediately became a place of pilgrimage where many faithful flocked. Faced with this surge of popular devotion and the numerous testimonies of graces obtained through his intercession, the Bishop of Székesfehérvár, Msgr. Lajos Shvoy, opened the diocesan informative process for his beatification in 1941. In 1942, the remains of István Kaszap were solemnly transferred under the arcades of the Ottokár Prohászka Memorial Church (Prohászka Ottokár-emléktemplom) in Székesfehérvár. The documents of the diocesan inquiry were translated into Latin and sent to Rome in 1947. However, the advent of the communist regime in Hungary brought a brutal halt to the cause. In 1949, the communist political police (ÁVH) raided the secretariat of the cause of István Kaszap and burned almost all of the accumulated archives, including more than 20,000 prayer requests and accounts of favors obtained. Despite this attempt to erase his memory, the devotion of the faithful remained clandestine but fervent.

After the fall of the Eastern Bloc, the cause for beatification was relaunched with vigor. A supplementary diocesan inquiry was conducted between 1991 and 1992 to reconstruct the file. On November 18, 1994, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints validated this diocesan procedure. The Positio on the heroicity of his virtues was published in 1998. On December 16, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroicity of his virtues, thus conferring upon him the title of "Venerable." The cause is currently ongoing, awaiting the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession to pave the way for his beatification.

The spirituality of István Kaszap is deeply Eucharistic and centered on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He offered his intense physical sufferings for the salvation of sinners and the sanctification of youth. His spiritual motto summarizes his offering: "To serve with love and suffering the seat of love, the Sacred Heart of Jesus." He is considered today in Hungary as a model of holiness accessible to young people, athletes, and scouts. His life demonstrates that holiness does not require extraordinary actions, but is accomplished in daily fidelity, joyful patience, and confident abandonment to the divine will. His tomb in Székesfehérvár is surrounded by more than 1,200 marble ex-voto plaques, testifying to the healings and conversions obtained through his intercession. His name has been given to several institutions, scout groups, and university residences in Hungary (such as the Kaszap István university college in Szeged). Furthermore, the Jesuit province of Hungary offers a one-year volunteer program for young adults aged 18 to 30, called the "Kaszap-év" (the Kaszap Year), thus perpetuating his ideal of service and self-giving.