DR. JOSEF VECSEY

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28159, 24 December 1956, Page 3

DR. JOSEF VECSEY

Cardinal’s Story Taken To The Free World [World Copyright—New York Herald Tribune, Inc.} The Rev. Dr. Josef Vecsey, to whom Cardinal Mindszenty has told his story, was born in the small Hungarian village of Nemeshetes, less than five miles from the Cardinal’s home in Csehmindszent. The families were close friends. From the age of 10, Father Vecsey was a frequent visitor at the Cardinal’s home.

Now 43 years old. Father Vecsey says it was largely the Cardinal’s, influence which decided him to become a priest. This influence was especially strong after Father Vecsey’s own parents died. He visited very frequently at the Cardinal’s home. During this. time, the Cardinal, then a young priest, would often visit his home and act as spiritual adviser to the younger man. Father Vecsey entered the Catholic high school in the town of Szombathely where the Cardinal had also studied. In 1933, he entered the seminary at Budapest. Here he was ordained irt 1938. He remained in Budapest another year to take his doctorate in theology. Then, as the Cardinal’s protege, he was assigned as curate to the parish of Zalaegerszeg where the Cardinal was pastor.

After three years with Cardinal Mindszenty he was transferred to the high school at Szombathely. Here he began to do research work on papers written by the Cardinal while ’a student. Father Vecsey also spoke with older priests who had known Cardinal Mindszenty. The two men often visited each other—visits which increased as the older man became bishop and then cardinal. Cared For Cardinal’s Mother When the Cardinal was gaoled in 1948 it was Father Vecsey who cared for his mother, Mrs Pehm. He gave her financial help and visited her often. He also begged the government for permission for the mother to visit her son. When that permission was finally granted, he accompanied the mother on many of her trips to the prison.

Then the theological seminary where he was teaching was disbanded by the Communists. Because of his association with the Cardinal he found that he was marked for arrest. In 1952 he fled Hungary. For two years then he studied in Rome. In 1954 he went to Munich where he became religious adviser to the Hungarian desk of Radio Free Europe. In February, 1956, he left Radio Free Europe to return to Vienna. Here he began a compilation of the sermons and writings of Cardinal Mindszenty. He was engaged in this task when the revolution broke out. He immediately went home to Hungary. “My feeling was that the exile had ended,” he said. In Budapest he went straight to the Cardinal’s residence where he was received with open arms. For the next two days he never left the Cardinal’s side except to sleep. The Cardinal told him the story of his arrest and imprisonment.

When the revolution appeared doomed, Father Vecsey was obliged to return to the free world. He took with him full written authorisation to tell his story. In his book “In Silence I Speak,” George Shuster, President of Hunter College, says of Vecsey, “No-one else has a comparable mass of material concerning the Cardinal.”