Maurice Csák facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Blessed Maurice Csák O.P.
Maurice Csák, as depicted in Gábor Hevenesi's Ungaricae Sanctitatis Indicia (1692)
Master of Peace and Consolation
Born	c. 1270 Ugod, Hungary
Died	20 March 1336 Győr, Hungary
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church (Hungary & the Dominican Order)
Beatified	1494 by Pope Alexander VI
Feast	13 November 20 March (Dominicans)

Maurice Csák (Hungarian: Csák nembeli Móric, Latin: frater Mauritius) was a Hungarian Dominican friar. He was born around 1270 and passed away on March 20, 1336. He was later recognized as a saintly person and was beatified by Pope Alexander VI in 1494.

Early Life and Family

Maurice was born around 1270 in Ugod, Hungary. He came from the very important and rich Csák family. His father was Demetrius Csák, who was a Count. His mother was the daughter of a powerful lord named Henry Kőszegi.

Maurice grew up in his family's old castle in Ugod. He had two siblings: a brother named Csák and a sister named Kunigunda.

A Special Childhood

When Maurice's mother was pregnant, she had a dream. In her dream, Virgin Mary told her that she would have a son who would be "well-pleasing to God and the people."

Maurice was sick with a fever until he was three years old. His education started when he was five. Even as a child, he was very religious. By the age of ten, he loved to pray and talk about the lives of saints. He preferred this over playing games like other children.

One day, an old Dominican friar visited Ugod castle. He told young Maurice the story of Saint Alexius of Rome. This story inspired Maurice to decide that he wanted to live a religious life as a monk.

When Maurice's father died around 1286, Maurice inherited a lot of land. This made him one of the richest landowners in his region.

Becoming a Friar

Around 1301, Maurice Csák married Catherine Aba. Her father, Amadeus Aba, was a very powerful leader in Hungary. Maurice and Catherine were married for about three or four years.

A Shared Decision

After some time, Maurice and Catherine both decided they wanted to join the Dominican Order. They agreed to separate and live religious lives. Catherine became a nun at a monastery on Margaret Island. Maurice joined the Dominican convent in Buda.

Catherine's father, Amadeus Aba, was very angry about their decision. This was because Maurice and Catherine gave up their wealth to join the monasteries. Amadeus Aba even tried to force them to leave the monasteries. He had them taken from their convents and locked up in Buda Castle. But Maurice and Catherine did not change their minds. After six months, they were released and could go back to their religious lives.

To keep Maurice safe from his father-in-law, the Dominican friars sent him to the Basilica of San Domenico in Bologna, Italy. Maurice stayed there for two or three years.

Giving Away His Wealth

When Maurice returned to Hungary, he started giving away his large fortune. In 1309, he gave his family's important home, Pápoc, to the nuns on Margaret Island. This was where his mother and former wife lived. He also gave other villages and lands to relatives and religious groups over the years.

One story says that Maurice wanted to get back some of his old properties to give them to the Margaret Island monastery. But a "king" named Nicholas refused his request. Maurice then predicted that Nicholas would die within six months because he was being "harsh." Nicholas did get sick and died, and before he passed away, he told his sons to give the properties to the monastery as Maurice had asked.

Life as a Dominican Friar

Maurice Csák spent the rest of his life in different Dominican monasteries. He lived in Buda, then in Pest, and finally in Győr, where he passed away.

A Life of Prayer and Service

As a friar, Maurice lived a very simple and strict life. He prayed constantly, no matter what. He slept on straw and disciplined his body. He was very active in all the monastery's duties, like celebrating mass and singing hymns.

Maurice did not eat meat for 32 years and always followed fasting rules during church holidays. He wore plain, simple clothes. If his relatives gave him expensive clothes, he would thankfully accept them but then give them to his fellow monks or to the poor. He also wore a cilice, which is a rough garment worn for penance.

He was known for being humble and calm. He often helped people who were arguing to find peace.

Miracles Attributed to Maurice

Many miracles were said to have happened because of Maurice's prayers. Most of these stories are about healing sick people, and some even say he brought someone back from the dead.

• Once, Maurice was staying at a man's house in Vác. He went to pray at a nearby church at night. Even though the house gate and church door were locked, he managed to get inside. The man saw all the candles in the church light up by themselves.
• Another time, Maurice was praying in a church in Pest at night. An "evil spirit" tried to bother him. A dead body that had been brutally murdered woke up and tried to get out of its coffin. Maurice made the sign of the cross and commanded it to be still in the name of Jesus. The body then fell back into the coffin.
• Maurice also cared for a friar who was dying of a fever. When Maurice brought and blessed some water, the sick friar was immediately healed.

Death and Legacy

Maurice Csák died in Győr on March 20, 1336. His funeral was led by Bishop Nicholas Kőszegi. During the funeral, it is said that Maurice's eyes opened twice for a short time, and his body gave off a pleasant smell. He was buried in the Győr convent. Sadly, during a fire in 1566 and later attacks by the Ottomans, the monastery was destroyed, and Maurice's remains were lost.

Miracles After Death

Stories say that Maurice continued to perform miracles even after he died.

• At the exact time of his death, a Dominican friar named Benedict, who was traveling, had a dream. He saw his fellow monks at dinner, and Maurice was the only one without a hood.
• The head of the Dominican order in Hungary also said that Maurice Csák appeared to him in a shining outfit during his morning prayers and announced his death.
• Another story tells of a blind man who took some earth from Maurice's grave. When he rubbed it on his eyes, he was able to see again.

His Story Written Down

The first stories about Maurice Csák were lost over time. However, during his beatification, a list of his miracles was sent to a church in Italy, but it also did not survive.

The first existing version of his life story was written by a Dominican preacher named Girolamo Albertucci de' Borselli in 1497. This story was later republished by other historians. Because the story was copied many times over the centuries, some names and places were sometimes misunderstood.

Maurice Csák was officially beatified in 1494. A painting in a church in Treviso, Italy, from 1352, shows Maurice Csák. The words next to him describe him as a noble, gentle, and humble person, known for his purity and many miracles.

Images for kids

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  Maurice Csák, as depicted in Gábor Hevenesi's Ungaricae Sanctitatis Indicia (1692)