(ANS - Rome) - The day of the beatification of Stephen Sándor, SDB  is approaching. This will take place on 19 October in Budapest. Several events are planned in preparation for the ceremony, which comes during the centenary of the arrival of the Salesians on Hungarian soil.

On Friday, October 18, there will be an assembly at the Salesian House in Péliföldszentkereszt aimed in particular at Salesian Brothers. The figure of Stephen Sándor will be presented as a model Salesian Brother who lived his vocation among young people of the world of work and as an animator of the oratory and youth groups.

In the evening there will be a prayer vigil organized by the Salesian Family. The rite of beatification will take place on the morning of Saturday, 19 October, in the square in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Budapest. It will be chaired by Cardinal Peter Erdo, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Primate of Hungary. Pope Francis will be represented  by Salesian Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The Rector Major and several members of the General Council will be present, as well as the Postulator General, several Provincials and many Brothers from different countries of Europe.

In the afternoon there will be a celebration for young people organized by the Salesian Youth Movement in Hungary. Finally, on the Sunday, at the parish church of Szolnok, the birthplace of the newly beatified, there will be a solemn Eucharist at which the Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chávez, will preside.

The martyr Stephen Sándor, Salesian Brother, took care of the young people entrusted to him, even to the point of giving his life as a witness to the Gospel, in the spirit of Don Bosco. He offered his life for the salvation of the young people of Hungary, and in defence of the rights of the Church.

Materials and resourcesin various languages are available on the site www.sdb.org.

Published 09/10/2013