János Solymár (Stréhling) SJ (Hódmezővásárhely-Kutaspuszta, December 26, 1923 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada, March 10, 1976) was a Jesuit priest, a pastor to Hungarian émigrés in Canada and Sweden, a Scout leader, and a newspaper editor.

He was born into a poor peasant family. As a young man, he worked as a farmhand; his employer recognized his talent and gave him the opportunity to continue his education. He completed his elementary school studies in Hódmezővásárhely, then attended the Jesuit high school in Kalocsa. On August 14, 1943, he entered the Society of Jesus. He completed his novitiate in Budapest, at Manréza. Between 1946 and 1948, he studied philosophy in Szeged, then left Hungary as a result of the communist regime’s measures against the Church and religious orders.

From 1949, he served as a master of novices in Büren, Belgium. He completed his theological studies in Maastricht between 1952 and 1953, and was ordained a priest on August 23, 1954. He completed his third probationary year, the Jesuit tertianship, in Mont-Laurier, Quebec, in 1956. He took his final vows on February 2, 1957.

He began his pastoral ministry among Hungarians in Canada in Courtland, where he served as the successor to János Havas, S.J., at the St. László Hungarian parish there. His work was not limited to traditional pastoral duties. He directed theatrical performances, worked with young people, and put his artistic and craft talents to the service of the community. He designed the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, built next to the church in memory of mothers. During his time in Courtland, the Hungarian community built a sports field and a community center and established a Hungarian lending library.

In December 1958, he became pastor of St. Stephen’s Hungarian Parish in Hamilton, a position he held until 1966. A new parsonage was built in Hamilton, and he devoted considerable attention to community, cultural, and youth life. He revitalized the Hungarian school and the Scouting movement, and, with the help of György Zadubán, organized a choir. Preserving the linguistic, cultural, and religious identity of the young Hungarian generation played a particularly important role in his work.

In the second half of the 1960s, he was transferred to Europe and became the pastor of the Hungarian Catholic community in Sweden, based in Stockholm. Sources provide differing dates for the start of his ministry: some cite 1965, while others cite 1967. In Sweden, in addition to providing pastoral care to Hungarians living in scattered communities, he was also active in the émigré press. He edited the publications *Katolikus Értesítő*, then *Új Értesítő* and *Isten Népe – Új Értesítő*, and in 1969 he also contributed to the editing of *Életünk*.

He maintained a particularly close relationship with the Hungarian Scout movement abroad. As the spiritual leader of Hungarian Scouts in exile, he participated in camps and gatherings, where, in addition to his pastoral work, he led craft workshops: among other things, he taught young people how to carve wooden headboards and axes. He viewed Scouting as an important means of passing on the Hungarian language, culture, and Christian traditions.

On September 15, 1975, he was reassigned to Hamilton, Canada. His second stint in Canada, however, was short-lived: he passed away in Toronto on March 10, 1976, at the age of 52. He died of stomach cancer.

A stockholmi Katolikus Értesítő, Új Értesítő, Isten Népe – Új Értesítő, illetve 1969-ben az Életünk szerkesztője.