HOMELESS

Budapest. Memory of homeless people who lost their lives due to the harshness of life on the streets.

On 18 February, in the church of Terézváros in Budapest, the auxiliary bishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Msgr. Gábor Mohos Gábor, presided over the liturgy of the Community of Sant'Egidio to remember the homeless who have lost their lives due to the harshness of life on the streets.

 
For some years now, this commemoration has been named after a homeless Hungarian, a friend of the Community, Peter Kalas. He was affectionately known as 'Scooter' and lived in a square in Budapest in increasingly precarious conditions. He died on 5 August 2021 in tragic circumstances, similar to those of Modesta: he lay on the asphalt for days with necrosis in his feet, until, after repeated calls to the emergency services, he was taken to hospital where he unfortunately died of septicaemia. He was not alone: a young girl from the Community was at his side.
 
After the liturgy, a lunch was held in the parish, an entire high school class offered help, together with the Youth for Peace, they prepared the rooms, set the tables and welcomed the guests with generosity and human warmth.