Mgr Dr Tamás Tóth, General Secretary of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference was appointed papal assistant ad nutum Sanctae Sedis for the Congregation of the School Sisters of Our Lady of Kalocsa with a decree issued by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, dated on 18 May 2019.
Ad nutum Sanctae Sedis, i.e. at the disposition of the Holy See means that the primary task of the pontifical assistant is to examine the current situation of the Congregation and report to the dicastery by proposing appropriate solutions. The assistant provides support and help to the general superior and her council to carry out their tasks and assist them in discernment to plan their goals: in the spiritual animation of the members, in the restructuring of the organizational framework, in managing their assets and in carrying out their apostolic mission. The assistant may participate on the meetings of the council, if he deems this necessary.
The history of the School Sisters of Our Lady of Kalocsa dates back to 16th-17th century Lothringia. The new religious community based its activity on the spirituality of Saint Augustine and decided to provide free education for children in need. The first sisters led by Franz Maria Theresia arrived in Kalocsa in 1860 following the invitation of the Archbishop of Kalocsa, József Kunszt. A separate mother house was established in Kalocsa. They are a religious congregation of pontifical right for women, the Holy See confirmed their status in February 1907.
Currently, they operate dormitories, kindergartens, primary schools, vocational schools, secondary schools and social welfare homes, while they teach religion to children. Their general superior is Sister Bernadette M. Dávid. The Congregation’s activities centre around education. The Congregation has houses in Hungary (Kalocsa, Budapest, Kiskunfélegyháza) and China.
Budapest, 27. June 2019
General Secretariat of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference
