A Hungarian Jesuit priest, pastor, retreat leader, spiritual writer, and media personality. One of the best-known figures in the Hungarian Jesuit Province, he served the Hungarian Catholic community in Toronto for nearly a decade in addition to his pastoral, educational, and public service activities. He was a key initiator of the establishment of the Manréza Retreat House and is the director of the House of Dialogue.
He completed his theological studies in Esztergom and then in Budapest. He had been a member of the Regnum Marianum community since his high school years, beginning in 1969. He was ordained a priest on June 15, 1974, in Budapest. Initially, he served as an assistant pastor in Bernecebaráti, Nyergesújfalu, and Szécsény, and later at parishes in Budapest.
In 1981, he traveled to Belgium, where he applied for admission to the Society of Jesus. Following his Jesuit novitiate and religious formation, he continued his studies in Toronto, Canada, from 1982 to 1985, while also providing pastoral care to Hungarian communities and leading retreats.
Upon his return, he became one of the key organizers of the Hungarian Jesuit Order. From 1990 to 1994, he was a faculty member at the St. Ignatius Jesuit College in Budapest, and from 1990 onward, he served for many years as a consultant (consultor) to the Hungarian Jesuit Province. Between 1993 and 2008, he initiated and oversaw the development of the Manréza Retreat and Cultural Center in Dobogókő, which quickly became one of Hungary’s most significant Catholic retreat centers.
In 1990, he became a founding member of the “Szív” Jesuit spiritual movement (Szív Szentjánosbogár), which reached thousands of young people through its community and spiritual programs. He was also a founding member of the Hungarian Catholic Journalists’ Association (MAKÚSZ), where he later served as vice president.
From 1994 to 1998, he served as spiritual director for military chaplains in Hungary. From 1995 to 1998, he was a member of the Ecumenical Theological Commission of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference. From 1996 to 2010, he once again assisted the leadership of the Hungarian Jesuit Order as a provincial consultor, and from 1990 to 2010, he was also a member of the board of trustees of the Foundation for the Catholic University.
From 2002 to 2007, he served as the Hungarian ecclesiastical assistant to the Christian Life Community (CVX).
In 2008, he returned to Canada, where he became pastor of St. Elizabeth Hungarian Catholic Parish in Toronto. In addition, as head of the Canadian Hungarian Priests’ Association, he coordinated Hungarian pastoral work in Canada. During his tenure as parish priest, he placed great emphasis on community renewal, spiritual retreats, family ministry, and the involvement of young people. He returned to Hungary in 2013.
Upon his return, he became director of the House of Dialogue in Budapest, a center run by the Hungarian Jesuits that promotes cultural, spiritual, and social dialogue. He served as bursar of his province until 2017.
Szabolcs Sajgó is a regular lecturer, retreat leader, and radio and television commentator. His writings primarily address issues of Christian spirituality, Ignatian spirituality, human relationships, family life, and matters of faith. In his pastoral work, he places particular emphasis on personal accompaniment, Ignatian spiritual exercises, and the building of Christian communities.
On August 19, 2021, he was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary for his role in preserving Hungarian culture and promoting it beyond the country’s borders, as well as his committed advocacy for persecuted Christians, he was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary.

Elárult látomás; Amerikai Magyar Írók, Toronto, ON, 1987
Még csak péntek este; Korda, Kecskemét, 2000
Agy, hit, számítógép; Éghajlat, Bp., 2004 (Manréza-füzetek)
It's only friday night; angolra ford. Valerie Woods; Korda, Kecskemét, 2002
Borókai Gábor–Kondor Katalin–Sajgó Szabolcs: Mennyország és pokol határain; Éghajlat, Bp., 2005 (Manréza-füzetek)
Beer Miklós–Polcz Alaine–Sajgó Szabolcs: Élet, hit, lélek; Éghajlat, Bp., 2007 (Manréza-füzetek)
Az űrön áthajolva; Korda, Kecskemét, 2007
Jókai Anna–Ternyák Csaba–Sajgó Szabolcs: Szeretet szigetek; Éghajlat, Bp., 2008 (Manréza-füzetek)
Es ist erst Freitag Abend; németre ford. Tóthné Borbély Klára; Annecto–Korda, Toronto, ON–Kecskemét, 2008
1984 és 1994 között A Szív újság szerkesztője Kanadában és Magyarországon
A Cor Unum, az Anima Una, a Barátainknak és a katalógus rendi kiadványok szerkesztése, kiadása