Mária Magdolna Bódi, who was martyred in Litér in 1945, will be beatified after Pope Francis authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints on May 23 to promulgate the decree recognizing her martyrdom. It has now been announced that the special event will take place on April 26, 2025, in Veszprém.
Mária Magdolna Bódi was born on August 8, 1921, in Szigliget, to poor estate servant parents. At the young age of seventeen, she participated in the national mission in Balatonfűzfő. She deeply desired to become a nun, but this was not possible due to a Church regulation. The Church did not recognize her parents’ relationship, as her father lacked proper papers, preventing her parents from marrying. Although she could not officially become a nun, the young girl lived in purity, keeping God’s commandments, and even took a vow of chastity.
In March 1945, she and several women – including her mother – were at a shelter in Litér, near Veszprém, when Soviet soldiers attacked them. The 23-year-old girl resisted to protect the others, and for this, she was shot.
Shortly after her death, the then Bishop of Veszprém, József Mindszenty, initiated her beatification. However, during the communist era, the first diocesan phase of the process could not be carried out. After the regime change, the diocesan process took place from 2011 to 2016, followed by the Roman phase.
In the case of beatification, the final decision-maker is the Pope, who makes the declaration of martyrdom based on the recommendations of the Vatican’s expert bodies. This took place in May of this year when Pope Francis recognized Mária Magdolna Bódi’s martyrdom. The Beatification ceremony will be held on April 26, 2025, in Veszprém.