Seventeen years after the fall of Communism in Hungary there are still many streets and squares that bear the names of the leaders of the dictatorship, whereas few are dedicated to the national saint, St. Elizabeth of Hungary. That’s what emerges from a survey promoted by the Jubilee Committee for the eighth centenary of the birth of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. The research was aimed at showing how far, or how little, the saint is known in her own country. In particular it shows that there are still 62 streets in Hungary named after Kun Béla, leader of the first, short-lived period of Communism in Hungary in 1919, who had a very negative role, so much so that no party or social groups cares to remember him. There are also 118 streets named after Lenin. Yet only 13 public areas bear the name of St. Elizabeth. “It’s a sad result – comments Csongor Szerdahelyi, head of the press office of the Hungarian Bishops’ Conference (MKPK) – even though it is a joy to see during this jubilee year how many art exhibitions, competitions for students and scholarships are being organized, and how many books are being published, dedicated to the life of the Saint. But it would also be important for our municipalities to do something. We have a proposal to make to them”. An appeal has therefore been made to Hungary’s civic authorities, published in various Catholic weeklies: it asks them to dedicate a street to the saint, even though – says the text of the appeal – “it’s certainly not St. Elizabeth who needs more streets named after her, but we Hungarians who need to be inspired by her example of life”.
