Historical directory of Hungarian, Hungarian-descended, and Hungarian-speaking clergy serving abroad

Kozma György SJ, dr

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Deceased

Birth data:: Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary — October 27, 1939
Death data:: Innsbruck, Austria — December 14, 1990
Denomination:: Roman Catholic
Ecclesiastical status:: diocesan
Diocese / Order:: Esztergom-Budapest (korábban: Esztergom) (1978-ig) → jezsuita (Societas Jesu)

Ordination level:: priest
Priestly ordination:: Esztergom, Hungary — June 16, 1963
Place of burial:: Jezsuita templom kriptája
Innsbruck, Austria

Biographical data

He was born the only son in a deeply religious family with three children. He received his First Communion at the age of five. His parents were members of congregations led by Jesuit priests; one of his uncles served as a Jesuit priest, and another was a Marist brother. He attended Fáy High School. After graduating, he applied for admission to the Archdiocese of Esztergom and was accepted into the Central Seminary. However, he was expelled from there in 1958 because he refused to attend the priests’ “peace assembly” and participated in secret seminary training. He learned to drive and worked as a chauffeur. In 1960, he was readmitted to the Esztergom seminary. He was ordained a priest in Esztergom by Auxiliary Bishop Imre Szabó on June 16, 1963. He left the country in 1975 and earned a doctorate in the sociology of religion at the University of Innsbruck. In 1978, he became a Jesuit novice. He earned a degree in mass communications from Concordia University in Montreal. He took his vows in the Jesuit Order in 1979, after receiving permission from the Holy See to leave the diocese, even though Cardinal Lékai had refused to grant it. From 1979, he served temporarily as editor of the magazine Szív. He became a Canadian citizen in 1981. From 1982, he worked for Vatican Radio. He was an outstanding and respected Scout leader; the 79th Dr. György Kozma SJ Scout Troop in Innsbruck bears his name. He died as a result of complications from heart surgery; he never regained consciousness from anesthesia and was pronounced dead two days later.

Domestic service locations

From	To	Place i	Church / institution	Position
1964	1971	Nógrádmegyer, Hungary		assistant pastor
1973	1973	Érsekvadkert, Hungary		assistant pastor
1973	1975	Budapest, Hungary	Szent Imre templom	assistant pastor

Foreign service locations

From	To	Place	Current name, country	Church / institution	Position
1975	1978	Innsburck, Austria			pursuing studies
1978	1982	Toronto, ON, Canada			Novitiate, followed by service as an assistant pastor in Montreal, MB, Canada, and Vancouver, BC, Canada
1982	1984	Róma, Italy			Vatican Radio staff member
1984	1988	Bécs, Austria			Editor at Opus Mystici Corporis Publishing
1989		Nyugat-Berlin, NSZK	Berlin, Germany		third
1989	1990	München, NSZK	Germany	Magyar Katolikus Misszió	youth pastor

Literary activity

Das Kirchenbild der ungarischen Bischöfe im Spiegel der bischöflichen Rundschreiben. Bécs, 1979;
Úti misekönyv. Róma, 1982;
Kézikönyv világi kisegítők számára. Róma, 1987.
Életünk c. havilap szerkesztője

Life timeline

Birth

October 27, 1939

Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary, currently Hungary

Priestly ordination

June 16, 1963

Esztergom, Hungary

Service in the homeland

1964 – 1971

Nógrádmegyer, Hungary

assistant pastor

Service in the homeland

1973 – 1973

Érsekvadkert, Hungary

assistant pastor

Service in the homeland

1973 – 1975

Budapest, Hungary

Szent Imre templom

assistant pastor

Service abroad

1975 – 1978

Innsburck, Austria

pursuing studies

Service abroad

1978 – 1982

Toronto, ON, Canada

Novitiate, followed by service as an assistant pastor in Montreal, MB, Canada, and Vancouver, BC, Canada

Service abroad

1982 – 1984

Róma, Italy

Vatican Radio staff member

Service abroad

1984 – 1988

Bécs, Austria

Editor at Opus Mystici Corporis Publishing

Service abroad

1989

Nyugat-Berlin, NSZK, currently Berlin, Germany

third

Service abroad

1989 – 1990

München, NSZK, currently Germany

Magyar Katolikus Misszió

youth pastor

Death

December 14, 1990

Innsbruck, Austria

Sources

Kozma Teréz: Kozma György élete (1939—1990), in: Szabó Ferenc (szerk.): Magyar jezsuiták vallomásai III., „Anima Una”-könyvek / 13, Jézus Társasága Magyarországi Rendtartománya, 1999.;
http://jezsuita.hu/nevtar/kozma-gyorgy/✓
Diós: 302.;
Beke: 394.;
KMVÉ: 1979-1985.;
Szolgálat: 88 (1190/4), 146.;
Schematismus Strigoniensis 1970, 135.;
Nagy Csaba: A magyar emigráns irodalom lexikona. Budapest, 568.;
ABTL: HU - ÁBTL - I. - 2.2.1. - IV/1 Külföldön élő személyek kartonjai, 1537-1538.;
A fényképet Sajgó Szabolcs SJ bocsátotta rendelkezésemre.

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Citation for this entry

Kozma György SJ, dr: 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=594 (accessed: 2026-09-13).

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