At the final event of this year’s Sound Waves series, held on September 7, Archbishop Gergely Kovács of Gyulafehérvár, the former postulator of Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi’s cause for beatification, and Cristiana Marinelli, the current postulator, spoke about the role of a postulator in the process and shared their personal reflections on how deeply they were touched by Magdi’s life and faith.
On Sunday afternoon, visitors gathered in Tihany, aboard the St. Nicholas boat. Throughout the year, the Archdiocese of Veszprém organized five such boat journeys, each focusing on different aspects of Bódi Mária Magdolna’s life and beatification.
The final voyage of the season was hosted by Enikő Loószné Dömötör, with Father István Takács, parish priest of the Veszprém Cathedral, serving as interpreter.
Among the audience was Bishop Aurelio García Macías, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Archbishop Kovács emphasized the significance of his presence, noting that it was an exceptional honor to welcome such a high-ranking representative of the Dicastery to Hungary — someone who not only prayed before Blessed Magdi’s relic but also showed deep interest in the Hungarian Church and its people.
Archbishop Kovács shared that during his years working in the Vatican, he served as postulator for the cause of Bishop Áron Márton, and later, at the request of the Archdiocese of Veszprém, he began overseeing Bódi Mária Magdolna’s cause as well.
When he was appointed Archbishop of Gyulafehérvár, he invited Cristiana Marinelli, who had already been involved in compiling parts of the positio (the official document for the cause), to continue the work as postulator.
Both speakers explained that the postulator’s task is to officially represent the cause of beatification in Rome, acting as a bridge between the diocese and the Holy See’s Dicastery. The postulator ensures that all necessary documentation and steps are properly carried out to demonstrate the candidate’s heroic virtues and sanctity.
“The postulator must approach the task with both historical interest and critical discernment,” said Archbishop Kovács. “The position must be compiled objectively.”
Cristiana Marinelli added: “We must go deep — and yet, it is impossible not to be personally moved and involved.”
They both acknowledged that a postulator inevitably becomes spiritually attached to the candidate. The example of the person under investigation becomes part of their life.
Archbishop Kovács shared a personal reflection from his experience with Bishop Áron Márton’s cause:
“Each year, I choose one ‘virtue’ from his life — from that great predecessor who never compromised in matters of faith — and I try to live by it. I don’t know if I become better, but I keep trying,” he said with a smile.
Cristiana Marinelli added that she often finds herself wondering, “What would Magdi do?” in certain situations. She described it as a profound gift to have been among those who carried Magdi’s relic to the altar during the beatification ceremony:
“I felt as if Magdi were walking beside me. I said to her in my heart: Look, how many have come here for you!”
The journey on the St. Nicholas boat offered participants a time of quiet reflection — to meditate on the self-giving life of the young martyr and to marvel at the serene beauty of Lake Balaton, which had once so deeply captivated Magdi herself.