Historical directory of Hungarian, Hungarian-descended, and Hungarian-speaking clergy serving abroad

Kovács Imre Rafael OSB

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Left ministry

Birth data:: Kispest, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Budapest - XIX. kerület, Hungary — August 21, 1930
Death data:: ismeretlen
Denomination:: Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical status:: religious
Diocese / Order:: bencés (Ordo Sancti Benedicti)

Ordination level:: priest
Entry into religious life:: August 6, 1948
First (temporary) vows:: May 14, 1950
Perpetual vows:: Róma, Italy — March 31, 1957
Priestly ordination:: Győr, Hungary — June 21, 1953
Place of burial:: ismeretlen

Biographical data

His parents were Béla Kovács and Ilona Kelemen. He entered the order on August 6, 1948, and took his simple vows on May 14, 1950. Due to restrictions on the order, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Győr on June 21, 1953. He defected in 1956 and took his solemn vows in Rome on March 31, 1957. After taking his perpetual vows, he went to Brazil, where he arrived on June 7, 1957. In São Paulo, he requested to be laicized in 1965 and married Dona Zaira, a teacher at the order’s school, on February 4, 1968. His later fate is unknown.

Domestic service locations

From	To	Place i	Current name, country i	Church / institution	Position
1953	1955	Ravazd, Hungary			assistant pastor
1955	1956	Kisbér, Hungary			assistant pastor

Foreign service locations

From	To	Place	Current name, country	Church / institution	Position
1956	1957	Róma, Italy			taking an oath
1957	1965	São Paulo, Brazília		Szent Gellért Perjelség (1989-től Apátság)	high school teacher

Life timeline

Birth

August 21, 1930

Kispest, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Budapest - XIX. kerület, Hungary

Entry into religious life

August 6, 1948

First (temporary) vows

May 14, 1950

Priestly ordination

June 21, 1953

Győr, Hungary

Service in the homeland

1953 – 1955

Ravazd, Hungary

assistant pastor

Service in the homeland

1955 – 1956

Kisbér, Hungary

assistant pastor

Service abroad

1956 – 1957

Róma, Italy

taking an oath

Perpetual vows

March 31, 1957

Róma, Italy

Service abroad

1957 – 1965

São Paulo, Brazília

Szent Gellért Perjelség (1989-től Apátság)

high school teacher

Sources

Bencés, 232.;
Jordán;
Somorjai Ádám OSB: A magyar bencések 87 éve Braziliában, MEV 2024/1–2. 70–84.;
https://www.myheritage.hu/research/collection-30284/brazilia-rio-de-janeiro-bevandorlasi-kartyak-1900-1965?itemId=1741503-&action=showRecord&recordTitle=Imre+Kovacs#fullscreen✓

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Places related to this person on the map

● birth ● priestly ordination ● domestic service ● foreign service ● death ● burial

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Citation for this entry

Kovács Imre Rafael OSB: personal record. In: Historical directory of Hungarian, Hungarian-descended, and Hungarian-speaking clergy serving abroad. Available at: https://www.diaszporalelkipasztorok.hu/persons_v2/view.php?id=583 (accessed: 2026-07-06).

Last modified: June 10, 2026 21:22 | Opened: 50 times