Csaba Böjte (; born 24 January 1959) is an ethnic Hungarian

Franciscan friar The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest contem ...

, author, humanitarian, and director and founder of the Saint Francis Foundation of

Deva Deva may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Deva, List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters, an ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition monster * Deva, in the 2023 Indian film ''Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefir ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. His foundation works to rescue homeless orphans in

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

. The foundation provides food, housing, and education to children living in poor conditions, a large number of whom suffer from

extreme poverty Extreme poverty is the most severe type of poverty, defined by the United Nations (UN) as "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, ...

and chronic

food insecurity Food security is the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, healthy food. The availability of food for people of any class, gender, ethnicity, or religion is another element of food protection. Similarly, househo ...

. There are currently over 2500 children living in the Saint Francis Foundation's homes and shelters, and hundreds more are a part of the organization's live-in care system.

Biography

Böjte Csaba was born into an ethnic Hungarian family in

Cluj Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...

(today Cluj-Napoca),

, a city in

with a large Hungarian-speaking population. Böjte trained to be a car mechanic, but then decided to become a

miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face (mining), face; cutt ...

in the remote

Harghita Mountains The Harghita Mountains (in Hungarian Hargita, in Romanian ''Munții Harghita'') is a volcanic mountain range of the Căliman-Harghita Mountains in Harghita County of Romania, part of the Inner Eastern Carpathians. The range is about long and ...

for a year. He made this abrupt change in career in order to test his abilities in preparation for becoming a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

. Böjte's father was a

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

and lived in Transylvania during the Ceaușescu communist dictatorship, under which he was sentenced to serve seven years in prison due to the contents of one of his poems. After serving four and a half years, Böjte's father escaped the

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

where he had been

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...

d, and he died less than two years after his escape due to the injuries he sustained. His father's death was a turning point in Böjte's life, and it was then he decided to become a priest. Böjte joined the

Franciscan Order The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

in 1982, under the Ceaușescu dictatorship, and his induction took place in secrecy. He completed his priestly studies in

Alba Iulia Alba Iulia (; or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; ; ) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the river Mureș (river), Mureș in the historical region of Transylvania, it has a ...

and

Esztergom Esztergom (; ; or ; , known by Names of European cities in different languages: E–H#E, alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the righ ...

, and was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

in 1989. Working as a priest in different places across Transylvania, Father Böjte settled in

, where he took several homeless orphans off the streets, and under his protection. Father Böjte broke the lock off of an abandoned Franciscan monastery, which had not been used in decades, and moved the homeless children in. Romanian authorities opposed this, repeatedly ordering Father Böjte to leave the monastery, under the pretense of

trespassing Trespass to land, also called trespass to realty or trespass to real property, or sometimes simply trespass, is a common law tort or a crime that is committed when an individual or the object of an individual intentionally (or, in Australia, ...

. Father Böjte responded that the Romanian police would have to physically remove the children if they wanted them to leave the premises, which they did not do. Word of Father Böjte's makeshift orphanage spread across Deva, and later the rest of Transylvania and

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

as well. Besides providing the orphans with the basic necessities of life, Böjte also provided education for the orphans, which included religious and moral instruction. Many of the orphans under Father Böjte's protection went on to attend

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. Since opening the first orphanage in 1993, Father Böjte has helped house, feed, and educate over 6,000 orphans through the Saint Francis Foundation, with over 2500 children currently under the Foundation's care. Böjte has published numerous books, articles, and essays. Alongside his duties with the Saint Francis Foundation, he continues to celebrate masses, and speak at various engagements worldwide.

Orphanages

Following the illegal occupation of the abandoned monastery which was transformed into a makeshift orphanage, Father Böjte and his orphans renovated the building room by room. They also built their own

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

, and administration building. Father Böjte and the Saint Francis Foundation purchased two apartment buildings near the monastery, using them to house orphans in foster families, generally allocating 8-10 children to a foster parent. These family groupings consist of children of different ages, so the older children can take on extra responsibilities in the home, and help look after the younger children. Many of the rescued children go on to learn trades and attend

, while others stay behind helping raise children in the orphanage. The number of children in Saint Francis Foundation orphanages continues to grow, as more and more children are being brought under its care from increasingly remote and rural regions of

.Csaba testver Nagy Csaladja
szentferencalapitvany.org Saint Francis Foundation orphanages have now been established in cities, towns, and villages all across Transylvania. The majority of the Foundation's budget comes from

donation A donation is a gift for Charity (practice), charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, Service (economics), services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donati ...

s, which is often used to purchase land and real estate to found new orphanages in order to deal with the increasing number of children under the Foundation's care. The Foundation operates with the support of volunteers, who help care for the children, as well as cook, clean, and build. The Saint Francis Foundation is not funded or supported by the

Government of Romania The Government of Romania () forms one half of the executive branch of the government of Romania (the other half being the office of the President of Romania). It is headed by the Prime Minister of Romania, and consists of the ministries, variou ...

. However, in 2005, the

Government of Hungary The Government of Hungary () exercises executive (government), executive power in Hungary. It is led by the Prime Minister of Hungary, Prime Minister, and is composed of various ministers. It is the principal organ of public administration. The Pr ...

provided the foundation with significant funding, and it donated 15 million HUF for the construction of a sports field for the orphanage in

Sovata Sovata (; ; Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a town in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. Three villages are administered by the town: Căpeți (''Kopac''), Ilieși (''Illyésmező''), and Săcădat (''Szakadát''). In 2004, the village of Săr� ...

. On 30 June 2022 the

Miercurea Ciuc Miercurea Ciuc (; ; ) is the county seat of Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, a mainly Hungarian-speaking ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, and is situated in the Olt River valley. The city administers three ...

Court handed down a sentence of 30 years in prison for rape and sexual assault for an employee of a children's center in

Băile Tușnad Băile Tușnad (; , ) is a town in Harghita County, Romania in eastern Transylvania. With a population of 1,372 (as of 2021), it is the smallest town in Romania by population. It is located at an altitude of in the southern reaches of the Ciuc ...

(patronized by the foundation of Csaba Böjte), on facts that extend to several years (2007-2017).

Books

* Böjte Csaba: ''Hiszek a szeretet végső győzelmében!'' Budapest: Szent Gellért Kiadó, 2005 * Böjte Csaba: ''Kevesebb pátoszt és több áldozatot!'' Budapest: Szent Gellért Kiadó, 2006 * ''A fénygyújtogató.'' Böjte Csaba atyával beszélget Benkei Ildikó. Budapest: Kairosz, 2006 * ''Istennel a semmiből a végtelen felé.'' Böjte Csabával beszélget Csengei Ágota. Budapest: Kairosz, 2006 * ''Asztali beszélgetések...2 – A csendesség felé.'' Böjte Csaba és Roszík Ágnes disputája. szerk: Galambos Ádám, Budapest; Luther Kiadó, 2008 * Böjte Csaba, Karikó Éva:
Ablak a végtelenre – Csaba testvér gondolatai Istenről, vallásról, életről, emberről...
' Budapest: Helikon Kiadó, 2009 * Böjte Csaba, Karikó Éva:

' Budapest: Helikon Kiadó, Budapest, 2016, új, javított kiadás * Böjte Csaba, Karikó Éva:
Út a végtelenbe - Csaba testvér gondolatai Isten ajándékairól
' Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2010 * Böjte Csaba, Karikó Éva:

' Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2016, új, javított kiadás * Böjte Csaba, Karikó Éva:
Iránytű a végtelenhez – Csaba testvér gondolatai az isteni parancsolatokról
' Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2011 * Böjte Csaba, Karikó Éva:
Iránytű a végtelenhez - Csaba testvér gondolatai az isteni parancsolatokról
' Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2016, új, javított kiadás * Böjte Csaba, Karikó Éva:
Párbeszéd a végtelennel – Csaba testvér gondolatai az Istennel való mély és bensőséges kapcsolatról
' Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2012 * Böjte Csaba, Karikó Éva:

' Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2016, új, javított kiadás * Böjte Csaba:
A szeretet bölcsője
összeállította: Karikó Éva, fotók: Váradi Levente, Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2012'' * Böjte Csaba
A mindennapi kenyérnél is fontosabb a remény
füves könyv az anyagiakról, a válságról, a szolidaritásról és a jövőről, összeállította: Karikó Éva, fotók: Váradi Levente, Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2014 * Böjte Csaba
Az igazgyöngy fájdalomból születik
füves könyv a szenvedésről, a méltóságteljes megöregedésről és az örök életről, összeállította: Karikó Éva, fotók: Váradi Levente, Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2014 * Böjte Csaba
A virág a fény felé hajlik
füves könyv a gyermekvállalásról és a nevelésről, összeállította: Karikó Éva, fotók: Váradi Levente, Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2015 * Böjte Csaba
A szeretet gyógyszer, nem jutalom
füves könyv a párbeszédről, a bizalomról, a megbocsátásról, összeállította: Karikó Éva, fotók: Váradi Levente, Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2015 * Böjte Csaba

füves könyv az ember életútjáról, összeállította: Karikó Éva, fotók: Lettner Kriszta, Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2016 * Böjte Csaba

füves könyv a szeretetről, a házasságról, az intimitásról és a párkapcsolati karambolokról, összeállította: Karikó Éva, fotók: Lettner Kriszta, Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2016 * Böjte Csaba

füves könyv a párbeszédről, a bizalomról és a megbocsátásról, összeállította: Karikó Éva, fotók: Lettner Kriszta, Helikon kiadó, Budapest, 2017 * Böjte Csaba

füves könyv a boldogság forrásáról, az Isten kereséséről, az élő hitről, az imáról és aszent és bűnös egyházról, összeállította: Karikó Éva, fotók: Lettner Kriszta, Helikon kiadó, Budapest, megjelenés: 2019. Ünnepi Könyvhét * ''Az örömök útján. Csaba testvér gondolatai derűről, jóságról, hitről és bizakodásról''; vál., szerk. L. Tóth Beáta; Lazi, Szeged, 2017 * ''Merjünk hinni és szeretni! Böjte Csaba testvér lelkesítő gondolatai és bölcs meglátásai az esztendő minden napjára''; Szt. Gellért, Bp., 2018v

Awards and recognition

Hungarian Heritage Award The Hungarian Heritage Award () is a distinction awarded to Hungarian institutions or persons who have contributed to activities of Hungarian culture, economy, sports or science, to ensure the spiritual uplift of Hungarian society. The award was ...

(2002) * ''Person of the Year'' 2004, from the

Magyar Hírlap ''Magyar Hírlap'' (, ) is a former Hungarian daily newspaper that operates exclusively online since 11 July 2022. Owned by conservative entrepreneur , ''Magyar Hírlap'' supports political parties of Hungary with conservative values, whereas it ...

(The award was received in 2005) * Aphelandra Award (2005) - Humanitarian Award *

Sütő András Suto or Sütő is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: People * Agnes Suto (born 1992), Icelandic gymnast * András Sütő (1927–2006), Romanian politician * Enikő Sütő (born 1958), Hungarian celebrity * József Sütő (bo ...

award (2007) * The Pannon Role Model Foundation award (2008) * Recipient of the first "Council of the Hundreds" ''Man of the Nation'' award in 2008 * Zajzoni Rab István Award (Transylvania, Brassó province, 2010) * Median Cross of the Hungarian Republic (2010) * The ''European Citizen Award'' (Civi Europaeo Praemium) awarded by the European Parliament in June 2011 * Giesswein memorial medal awarded by the Giesswein Sándor Memorial Office (2012) * Hungarian Freedom Medal (2015) * Pro Cultura Hungarica Award (2019) * Makovecz Imre Award (2019) In 2014 a civil initiative in Hungary collected signatures in an effort to award Böjte Csaba the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...

Films about Csaba Böjte

* Csillagösvény "Path of Stars" 1. (Dextramedia, 2004) * Utazások egy szerzetessel "Journeys with a Friar" (Fekete Ibolya, 2005) * Csillagösvény "Path of Stars" 2. (Dextramedia, 2006)

Further Information

The Saint Francis Foundation of Deva homepage

Father Böjte's personal blog

Books written by Father Böjte

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Böjte, Csaba 1959 births Living people Writers from Cluj-Napoca Romanian people of Hungarian descent Hungarian Franciscans Romanian Franciscans Recipients of the European Citizen's Prize