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

Pesti József SJ

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Deceased

Birth data:: Dég, Magyar Népköztársaság, currently Hungary — March 3, 1919
Death data:: Buenos Aires, Argentína — December 3, 1997
Denomination:: Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical status:: religious
Diocese / Order:: jezsuita (Societas Jesu)

Ordination level:: priest
Perpetual vows:: August 15, 1968
Priestly ordination:: Róma, Italy — July 15, 1948

Biographical data

He completed his novitiate and studies in rhetoric at Manréza. From 1942 to 1944, he studied philosophy in Košice. In 1946, he earned his master’s degree in Pécs. Beginning in 1947, he studied theology in Rome, where he was ordained a priest on July 15, 1948. He took his final vows on August 15, 1968. He was the founder of the Colegio San Ladislao school. He returned home from exile in 1990 and died suddenly in 1997 while traveling in Argentina. He was a scholar of Hungarian prehistory.

Domestic service locations

From	To	Place i	Current name, country i	Church / institution	Position
1991	1997	Szeged, Hungary			pastor
1997		Kalocsa, Hungary			pastor

Foreign service locations

From	To	Place	Church / institution	Position
1951	1956	Róma, Italy	Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum	tutor and is pursuing a doctoral degree
1956	1957	Florianopolis, Argentina		pastor
1957	1990	Buenos Aires, Argentina		pastor to Hungarian emigrants; also a university professor from 1982 to 1990

Literary activity

A vulkán kürtőjén. Buenos Aires, 1958; On the Edge of the Volcano. Charlottesville, 1966; Political Lyrics from Hungary 1952–1956. Charlottesville, 1969; Két rádióbeszéde. Buenos Aires, 1980; Mit akartok az őstörténettel? Buenos Aires, 1982.

Life timeline

Birth

March 3, 1919

Dég, Magyar Népköztársaság, currently Hungary

Priestly ordination

July 15, 1948

Róma, Italy

Service abroad

1951 – 1956

Róma, Italy

Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum

tutor and is pursuing a doctoral degree

Service abroad

1956 – 1957

Florianopolis, Argentina

pastor

Service abroad

1957 – 1990

Buenos Aires, Argentina

pastor to Hungarian emigrants; also a university professor from 1982 to 1990

Perpetual vows

August 15, 1968

Service in the homeland

1991 – 1997

Szeged, Hungary

pastor

Death

December 3, 1997

Buenos Aires, Argentína

Service in the homeland

1997

Kalocsa, Hungary

pastor

Sources

Molnár Gábor: Magyar hősök Latin-Amerikában a XX: században (1936–1997 között), MEV 2004/1–2., 217-241.;
https://www.korosiprogram.hu/hirek/otven-eves-az-argentinai-szent-laszlo-iskola✓
https://leveltar.jezsuita.hu/hu/node/1797✓

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Citation for this entry

Pesti József SJ: 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=866 (accessed: 2026-07-07).

Last modified: July 3, 2026 15:06 | Opened: 66 times