Our Board of Trustees
The board of trustees of the Vaduz-based foundation (Kardinal Mindszenty Stiftung), which is responsible for administering the Mindszenty estate, is currently comprised of three Church representatives and three lay members. Its honorary president is Cardinal Péter Erdő and its president is Archduke Mihály Habsburg-Lothringen. Trustees: Bishop Dr Ferenc Cserháti; Dr Bertalan Gábor, priest in the former Upper Hungary and postulator; Dr Zsolt Semjén and Prince Michael von und zu Liechtenstein.
The Hungarian foundation is only partly independent. It has no own resources; and its activity is financed by the donations of the faithful and the funds received from the Vaduz-based foundation. The members of its board of trustees are Archduke Mihály Habsburg-Lothringen, who is also its president, episcopal vicar Mons. István Császár (Szombathely) and certified postulator Gergely Kovács, the Foundation's representative.
Mihály Habsburg-Lothringen
President of the Foundation
He was born in 1942 in the "Hungarian branch" of the Habsburg family, founded by Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary. Among all the members of his family, he is the one who maintains the closest relationship with his Hungarian fatherland.
He worked in the textile industry for decades, and, since his retirement, he has assumed several roles in public life, especially in the field of charitable work: he is on the board of various NGOs, involved in fund-raising for religious schools and has been the president of the board of trustees of the Mindszenty Foundation since 1994. The municipality of the 11th district of Budapest rewarded his work with the Pro Urbe prize, and on 15 March 2012 he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merits of the Hungarian Republic. He has been ambassador of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta to Hungary since 2013.
I am glad to greet you. With these lines, I wish to ask you to continue supporting our Foundation with your prayers and generous donations so that we can achieve our ambitious goal of Cardinal Mindszenty's beatification as soon as possible.
Ugron Imre Gábor
az Alapítvány mb. társelnöke
1942-ben Budapesten született, iskoláit Ausztriában és Németországban végezte. 1966-ban mint közgazdász-mérnök diplomázott. Tíz év cserkészet után 1964-től a Német Máltai Segélyszolgálat önkéntese. 1985-ben lépett be a Szuverén Máltai Lovagrendbe.
1989-ben Kozma Imre atyával és barátaikkal megalapították a Magyar Máltai Szeretetszolgálatot. 2009-ben a Máltai Lovagrend Nagykeresztje kitüntetésben részesült. Hazaköltözése óta Magyarországon folytatja az önkéntes munkát, 2016-ban lett a Szuverén Máltai Lovagrend magyarországi nagykövete és Alapítványunk megbízott társelnöke.
Személyesen nem találkozhattam Mindszenty bíborossal, halála után tíz évvel egy máriacelli zarándoklat irányította az ő áldott emlékére a figyelmemet. 1997 és 2005 között meghívtak a Mindszenty Alapítvány kuratóriumába, örömmel vállaltam ezt a megtisztelő feladatot, ahogy az idei évben a társelnöki felkérést is. Régóta követem az alapítvány munkáját és imáimban folyamatosan kérem a hercegprímás mielőbbi boldoggá avatását.
István Császár
Trustee
He was born in 1968. He worked as a chaplain in Körmend for 12 years, while László Gyürki was the parish priest, and, during this time, he took an active part in fostering devotion to Blessed László Batthyány.
From 1999 to 2008, he was the notary and coordinator of the process of canonization of the Servant of God János Brenner. He has been general vicar of the diocese of Szombathely since 2010 and chaplain of His Holiness.
"Due to his deep convictions, confidence in Christ and ministry of evangelization" Mindszenty "is still a perfect model", said the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. As a member of the board of trustees of the Hungarian Mindszenty Foundation as well as representing the diocese of Szombathely and the Cardinal's fatherland, my aim is to disseminate the example of the Servant of God József Mindszenty and to promote his beatification so that he can be our powerful intercessor in Heaven.
Gergely Kovács
Representative of the Foundation
He was born in 1974 in a family of five children. He graduated as a teacher of history and Italian language and then worked for the Hungarian National Museum in the field of community culture.
He attended a course organized by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome, and in 2003 he obtained a diploma as postulator. From then on, he worked as a member of external staff of the Mindszenty Foundation. He is involved in the processes of canonization of János Brenner, Mária Magdolna Bódi and János Hám and in the cause of Franciscan martyrs as an expert. He has been a member of the board of trustees and administrative representative of the Foundation since summer 2012 and vice postulator of the process of canonization of Cardinal Mindszenty.
The process of canonization of the Servant of God József Mindszenty is based on the enthusiastic devotion of many of us. I dare say that there is no other outstanding figure of the Hungarian Church whose devotion is as widespread as that of Cardinal Mindszenty. We ask you to continue supporting our work with your prayers and by sending us your comments, obtained favours, and personal experiences, among others. At the intercession of Hungarian saints we wish from the bottom of our hearts: may God bless our Church and our country!