BÓDI MÁRIA MAGDOLNA – HER MEMORY

Christ our King! With her vow of virginity, Magdi pledged eternal faithfulness to You. In Your providential love, instead of the convent doors, the gates of the factory opened for her. Just as eagerly as she would have become one of Your lily-bearing spouses in a religious order, she just as willingly went to shine forth love for God and others among the workers, who had forgotten about You but still deserved a better fate.

“Lord, my King! Take me with You!” – You heard this final prayer of hers when she shed her blood for You. Grant us, Lord, that we may venerate Magdi among the saints, always for Your greater glory. Amen.

This is how we pray together for the beatification of Mária Magdolna Bódi.
The memory of the 24-year-old factory worker, who was martyred and offered her life to Christ, is faithfully preserved throughout the country with artwork, films, writings, and pilgrimages that recall her life and service.
Her grave has become a pilgrimage site in the cemetery of Litér, a village of barely 2,000 people, where every year a commemoration and pilgrimage are held in her honor. “With her vow of virginity, Magdi pledged eternal faithfulness to God. She eagerly went to radiate love for God and others in the factory,” reads the inscription on the pedestal of the statue erected in 2005 at the site of her martyrdom, in the courtyard of the former manor house in Litér. A street in Litér also bears her name, and the stained-glass windows of the local Roman Catholic Church commemorate the key moments of her life.

A memorial was also erected in her honor in the churchyard of Horvátnádalja, a village near Körmend, as well as in her birthplace, Szigliget – the latter on the 70th anniversary of her martyrdom. On her earthly birthday, August 8, 2024, the Archdiocese of Veszprém placed an image of the martyr in the St. Michael Cathedral. In Krakow, Mária Magdolna Bódi’s portrait is among those awaiting beatification on the great mosaic in the Hungarian chapel of the Divine Mercy Basilica, which depicts Hungarian saints and blesseds.

Pilgrimages and Traveling Stones
“To Love with Prayer” – this was the motto of the Adoration Weekend held in the summer of 2024 at the Sacred Heart Church in Balatonfűzfő, dedicated to Mária Magdolna Bódi. Participants took part in Eucharistic adoration, meditations, talks, praise, a midnight Mass, workshops, and other programs. The event was opened by Archbishop György Udvardy.

In 2024, at the St. Michael’s Day celebration, the Archdiocese of Veszprém launched a special initiative: with “traveling stones,” it aims to spread the news of the young martyr’s joy, love for God and humanity, and helpfulness throughout the world. The traveling stone carries a simple but profound message: the journey of faith never stops, and Magdi’s joy, perseverance, and love can give strength to everyone.

Magdi used her bicycle to visit needy families in the area, offering help to all. Her family lived in several villages along the northern shore of Lake Balaton – these locations are visited year after year by the participants of the Mária Magdolna Bódi cycling pilgrimage, which starts from the Church of the Holy Name of Mary in Szigliget and passes through Badacsonytördemic, Köveskál, and Fűzfőgyártelep before arriving in Litér.