New details about the role of the Sisters of Social Service concerning the Eucharistic Congress of 1938 in Budapest

Abstract

After Hungary received the right to organize the 34th Eucharistic Congress, a deep spiritual preparation begun. The country celebrated the 900th anniversary of the death of St. Stephen, the king who had founded Hungary. In the same year the organizers had the opportunity to remember not only of their nearly 1000-year-old Christian country (kingdom), but also to show Hungary to the whole world. The Sisters of Social Service was founded by Margit Slachta with an aim to send women who dedicate their lives to God to support different groups of society and proclaim the message of the Gospel. The Sisters of So-cial Service operated in a wide range of areas, and had such flexible lifestyles, that they participated in all levels of women’s education and charity work with the poor. After the foundation of the Service, in order to build financial foundation, many of the members spent different periods of time on the American continent, where they built widespread connections within the church. During the Eucharistic Congress, these relationships formed the baseline for the American evening programme organized by the sisters, who also took part in leading the women’s prayers.