Bishop István Katona, an honorary member of the Association of the Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum,” passed away on October 21 at the age of 97. He was an apostle of Divine Mercy in Hungary, where he spread the message of Divine Mercy given by St. Faustina and transplanted the work of “Faustinum” from Kraków-Łagiewniki, caring for the formation of the Apostles of Divine Mercy in the Hungarian language.

He was born on October 3, 1928, in Nagykáta. He studied theology in Szeged and was ordained a priest in 1953. In December 1989, he was consecrated bishop and began his ministry in the Diocese of Vác. The Bishops’ Conference entrusted him with the task of supporting and coordinating the work of the newly revived Catholic schools. He carried out this responsibility until 1996 as chairman of the Catholic School Office. From 1997 he served as auxiliary bishop in Eger, and in 2013 he retired. Bishop Katona also chaired the national council of the “Mercy” Foundation. In 2003, after turning 75, he submitted his resignation to the Pope, but St. John Paul II asked him to continue his ministry. In 2013, at the age of 85, István Katona was the oldest active bishop in Europe.