Sándor Schaffer (Felsőőr, March 3, 1862 – Kőszeg, April 3, 1936) was a priest of the Diocese of Szombathely and an early pastor to Hungarian Catholic immigrants in Canada and the United States. He served the Hungarian communities in North America for nearly a decade and a half, then returned to Hungary after his retirement.
He was born in Felsőőr (now Oberwart, Austria) on March 3, 1862. He began his pastoral career as an assistant pastor: from 1884 to 1886 in Vizlendva, from 1886 to 1887 in Rohonc, in 1887 in Nagynárád, and then from 1887 to 1888 in Pinkamiske. In 1888, he returned to Nagynárád, where he served as administrator, and later that same year he was transferred to Kismarton (Eisenstadt). From 1888 to 1913, he served as administrator and later as parish priest in Kismarton.
In 1913, he left for North America. He first led the Hungarian Catholic mission in Simpson, Saskatchewan, Canada, as a missionary priest. A year later, he moved to the United States. He served in Philadelphia from 1916 to 1917, and on January 27, 1917, he was appointed parish priest of the Hungarian Catholic community in East Chicago, Indiana. According to American sources, it was at this time that he took over the leadership of St. Stephen’s Parish and initiated significant progress in the life of the parish. Among his first actions were settling the parish’s debts and purchasing new properties. Construction of the new church began in 1920; its cornerstone was laid in May, and in 1922 he established the parish school, which was run by the Daughters of Divine Love.
According to Hungarian accounts, he spoke both German and English fluently. After his retirement, he returned to Kőszeg, where he taught languages at the local high school and participated in the town’s cultural life. He also supported the establishment of a convent for the Sisters of Divine Love.
He passed away in Kőszeg on April 3, 1936.