Clergy members were also able to receive state awards on the occasion of August 20.

On August 15, at the Ethnographic Museum, Gergely Gulyás, Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, presented the Commander’s Cross, the Officer’s Cross, the Knight’s Cross, the Gold Cross, the Silver Cross, and the Bronze Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit, awarded by President Tamás Sulyok.

On the occasion of August 20, Minister Gergely Gulyás awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit to, among others, András Fodor, retired episcopal vicar of the Debrecen-Nyíregyháza Diocese, papal chaplain, and former head of the Northern Great Plain Region of the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service, in recognition of his decades-long selfless charitable work in helping the sick, the disadvantaged, and those in need.

Photo: Ágnes Kovács

In 2021, we conducted an interview with András Fodor titled For You and Many Others on the occasion of his golden jubilee mass, which can be read here.

Minister Gulyás also awarded the Gold Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit to, among others, Ernő Péter Ágh, municipal representative of the city of Szombathely and lay president of the Szent Kvirin Salesian Parish, in recognition of his role in preserving the memory of Saint Quirin, who was martyred in Savaria, and for his over two decades of community-building work.

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On August 20, state awards and artistic recognitions, including the Master of Folk Art awards, were presented by Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation, together with State Secretaries Veronika Varga-Bajusz and Magdolna Závogyán, on Tuesday in Budapest at the Pesti Vigadó.

In recognition of exemplary and devoted activity, the Commander’s Cross (civil division) of the Hungarian Order of Merit was awarded to, among others: Dr. Imre Gurzó, Professor Emeritus at Gál Ferenc University, Dr. János Soltész, theologian, former rector of the Greek Catholic Papal Institute and Saint Athanasius Greek Catholic Theological College, university professor, László Szelestei Nagy, literary historian, Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Professor Emeritus at Pázmány Péter Catholic University and former dean of its Faculty of Humanities

In recognition of outstanding achievements, the Gold Cross (civil division) of the Hungarian Order of Merit was awarded to, among others: Antalné Rétfalvi, retired teacher and former director of the Szent Imre Catholic Primary School and Kindergarten in Gödöllő

For outstanding achievements in the library field, the Szinnyei József Prize was awarded to, among others: Éva Kührner, head librarian of the Library of the Saint Athanasius Greek Catholic Theological College

For outstanding achievements in folk art as a creator or performer, the Young Master of Folk Art award was presented to, among others: Fatima Eszter Szalai, folk singer, lecturer at Apor Vilmos Catholic College, performer of amor fati

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Róbert Zsigó, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, delivered a speech at the presentation of state awards on the occasion of the August 20 national holiday at the Pesti Vigadó on August 19, 2025.

In recognition of outstanding activity, the Gold Cross (civil division) of the Hungarian Order of Merit was awarded to, among others:

Brigitta Baksa, ethnographer, professor at Apor Vilmos Catholic College in Vác, Sándor Benyus and Mrs. Sándor Benyus, founders of the Benyus Brothers Chamber Ensemble, Kálmán Zoltán Váczy, Vice-Rector of Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Tamás Várhelyi, IT specialist, physician, economist, professor at the Institute of Economics at Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, former Chief Financial Officer, and Director of Innovation

For high-quality professional work, the Silver Cross (civil division) of the Hungarian Order of Merit was awarded to, among others:Botond Bese, musician, instrument maker, folk artisan, music teacher at the Búzaszem Catholic Primary and Elementary Art School in Göd, Tiborné Nagy, copy editor of the international educational sciences journal Catholic Pedagogy at Apor Vilmos Catholic College

The full list of this year’s awardees can be read here, and the article is continuously updated.

Sources: Kormány.hu, MTI
Photos: Ágnes Kovács / Debrecen-Nyíregyháza Diocese; Official Facebook page of Gergely Gulyás; Zita Merényi
Publication: Magyar Kurír