His parents were Boldizsár Babos and Terézia Vadkerti; he had eight siblings. He joined the Society on August 14, 1948, in Budapest. After the Society was banned, he studied at the Szeged College of Theology for two years starting in September 1950. He was expelled from there and subsequently worked as an electrician in Budapest.
In early 1957, he fled abroad and completed his theological studies at Heythrop College in London, Great Britain. He was ordained a priest in London, Great Britain, on July 31, 1958. He completed his third probation in Cleveland, OH, in 1960, and then took his final vows in New York on February 2, 1976. He earned his doctorate in 1969. He suffered from Parkinson’s disease beginning in 1991. He returned to Hungary in 1994. During the final years of his life, his sister cared for him in Pécs.
His grave is located in the Jesuit crypt in Pécs.
Domestic service locations
From
To
Place
Country
Church / institution
Position
1994
1999
Budapest
Hungary
retired
1999
2006
Pécs
Hungary
on sick leave
Foreign service locations
From
To
Place
Country
Church / institution
Position
1958
1960
London
United Kingdom
1960
—
Cleveland, OH
USA
probation
1961
1962
Toronto, ON
Canada
Szent Erzsébet templom
assistant pastor
1962
1968
New York, NY
USA
Fordham University
Professor at Fordham University, Hungarian assistant pastor, secretary to the provincial superior
1968
1969
Ottawa, ON
Canada
doctoral studies
1969
1991
New York, NY
USA
Fordham University
Professor at Fordham University, Hungarian assistant pastor
Literary activity
The Bishops and Episcopal Collegialiti in post Vat. I. Theology. Ottawa, 1964; A keresztség: újjászületésünk szentsége. Yonkers, 1974;
A betegek kenete. Az élni akarás szentsége. Yonkers, 1975;
A szentségek. Róma, 1977;
A szentségek általában. Keresztség és bérmálás. Róma, 1975;
A betegek kenete. Róma, 1978;
Az egyház szentségei. Bp., 1996; Keresztség – bérmálás. Bp., 1996;
Mozaik külföldi provinciánk életéből. Magyar jezsuiták vallomásai. I–III., Szerk. Szabó Ferenc. Bp., 1997–1999. I, 88–105.
Babos István 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=24 (accessed: 2026-04-07).