Sára Salkaházi
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Blessed Sister Sára Salkaházi (May 11, 1899 in Kassa, Austria-Hungary - December 27, 1944 in Budapest, Hungary), born as Sára Schalkház, was a Hungarian Roman Catholic religious sister who saved the lives of approximately one hundred Jews during World War II.
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[edit] Early life
Salkaházi was born in Kassa, Hungary (now known as Košice and part of Slovakia) on May 11, 1899, in a bourgeois family of German origin. As a young woman, she worked at various jobs incuding that of a bookbinder, a reporter and newspaper editor. At this time, her religious life was far from devout, and at times, she was even flirting with atheism. Before becoming a religious sister she once was engaged to be married, but she soon broke off the engagement.
[edit] Religious life
She took her religious vows to the Sisters of Social Service in 1930. Her dream was to be sent to the missions in Brazil, but this was not fulfilled; in the early years, because she was reputed to have a "difficult" character, and later, because of the outbreak of World War II.
During the final months of World War II, she helped shelter hundreds of Jews in a building belonging to the Sisters of Social Service in Hungary's capital, Budapest. As the sister responsible for the house, she secretly made a formal pledge to God in presence of her superior to be prepared to sacrifice herself if only the other sisters were not harmed during the war. The fact and text of the pledge have been preserved in her journals.
[edit] Martyrdom
Reported to the authorities by a woman working in the sisters' house, she was captured, along with the Jews she had sheltered, by members of the Hungarian pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party. Salkaházi was out of the house at the time the Nazis came and could have fled, yet she chose to return. The prisoners were taken to the bank of the Danube river, and shot together with four Jewish women and a Christian co-worker who was not a member of her order. Her body was never recovered. The killings came to light in 1967, during the trial of some Arrow Cross members.
In 1972 her deeds on behalf of Hungarian Jews were recognized by Yad Vashem when she was nominated by the daughter of one of the Jewish women she was hiding, who was killed alongside her.
[edit] Beatification
On September 17, 2006, Sister Sára was beatified in a proclamation by Pope Benedict XVI, read by Cardinal Péter Erdő during a Mass outside St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest, which said in part, "She was willing to assume risks for the persecuted ... in days of great fear. Her martyrdom is still topical ... and presents the foundations of our humanity." This is the first beatification to take place in Hungary since that of King Stephen in 1083 along with his son Imre and the Italian bishop Gerard Sagredo, who were instrumental in converting Hungary to Christianity. If Salkaházi is canonized, she will be the first non-royal Hungarian saint.
Speaking at the Mass, Rabbi József Schweitzer said of Sister Sára, "I know from personal experience ... how dangerous and heroic it was in those times to help Jews and save them from death. Originating in her faith, she kept the commandment of love until death."
[edit] Sources
- Hungarian Martyr to Be Beatified Sister Sara Salkahazi Helped Jews
- Catholic Church to beatify Hungarian nun who saved Jews in World War II, September 4, 2006
- Nun’s Beatification Helps Hungarian Church Image
- Beatification for Hungarian nun executed for saving Jews
- Nun Who Saved Jews in WWII Is Beatified Associated Press report
