On the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the faithful gathered for a solemn Mass in Pápa, at the Church of St Stephen the Martyr. The liturgy, which began at 11:00 a.m., was celebrated by Archbishop György Udvardy of Veszprém. At the conclusion of the Mass, the parish received a special gift: the Archbishop solemnly presented a relic of Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi to the church and its community.
At the beginning of the Mass, parish priest Fr Gergő Cséry welcomed the faithful and the Archbishop. In his greeting, he emphasized the joy of giving thanks together on the final Sunday of Advent for the gift of a new Blessed in the diocese, and for the grace that the community of Pápa may share in this spiritual treasure.
In his opening remarks, Archbishop Udvardy highlighted that Advent waiting is not uncertain hoping, but confident assurance. Jesus Christ is the One for whom we wait—the Redeemer sent by the Father, who brings life and joy to humanity. The nearness of Christmas, he stressed, teaches us about our human dignity, our redemption, and our life in the Holy Spirit.
The celebration also offered an opportunity to reflect on the life of the parish community. The Archbishop expressed his gratitude to Fr Gergő Cséry for undertaking pastoral service and recalled with appreciation the many years of ministry of Abbot Parish Priest József Mail. He placed particular emphasis on the importance of mutual trust—trust among the faithful, between priest and bishop, and ultimately toward the Church—without which, he said, there is no future.
In his homily, Archbishop Udvardy unfolded the profound message of the Christmas Gospel. He emphasized that the birth of Jesus Christ is a historical reality, not merely a mood, a custom, or a human idea. God enters human history and personal life—He becomes our companion.
At the heart of the homily were the figures of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. Mary, “full of grace,” first receives God’s Word in her heart and then God’s Son in her womb; and Joseph, the “righteous man,” who knows the law of the Lord and is ready to accept a vocation beyond human understanding. The Archbishop underlined that their example is a model of Christian dignity and vocation for us as well—the path of the grace-filled and righteous life.
Christian life, he said, is both gift and calling: to live in the grace of Baptism and to shape our daily lives according to God’s law. Advent helps us in this—it purifies, strengthens, and prepares us for celebration.
In his homily, the Archbishop also spoke specifically about the life witness of Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi. The young virgin and martyr, he emphasized, authentically shows what it means to live in a Christ-centered way: with joy, creativity, perseverance, prayer, love for the Eucharist, and self-giving service. Her life encourages us to dedicate ourselves entirely to God.
Before the final blessing, Archbishop Udvardy solemnly presented the bone relic of Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi, which Fr Gergő Cséry reverently placed for veneration before the altar. At the moment of the presentation, the Archbishop stressed that a relic is not a magical object, but a sign of the Church’s faith. It directs our attention to the fact that saints and blesseds belonged entirely to Christ during their lives and continue to assist us today by their example.
Along with the relic, the Archbishop also handed over the official authentication document, confirming the parish’s connection to the intercession of Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi.
The festive Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Advent not only made the closeness of Christmas tangible, but also enriched the community of Pápa—offering a living example, a spiritual resource, and hope for living out the Christian life in everyday circumstances.
The celebration continued within the walls of St Stephen Catholic School, where the Archbishop blessed a memorial plaque dedicated to Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi, placed in the school corridor. Before the blessing, he emphasized the particular significance of Magdi’s life witness becoming visible and continually present within a Catholic school community.
As he stated, Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi is not a distant or unattainable ideal of holiness, but a young person who lived the Christian life authentically through simplicity, joy, and courage. Her life sends a message to today’s young people: faith does not take away from life, but fulfills it; it is possible to live joyfully, creatively, and responsibly while belonging entirely to God.
The Archbishop highlighted that the memorial plaque is not merely an act of remembrance, but also an invitation—an invitation to grow in Christian virtues. For educators, it is a confirmation that education is not only the transmission of knowledge but the formation of life; for students, it is a quiet encouragement to dare to dream big, to think with God, and to live their lives as a gift.
With the blessing of the memorial plaque, the school—being the first among diocesan educational institutions to establish such a memorial—thus joined the living devotion to Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi, a spiritual heritage that is not a closed chapter of the past, but a grace that continues to act and shape the future.