László Kiss-Rigó the bishop of Szeged-Csanád Diocese was awarded the Duna Prize this year. The prize was founded by the Duna Television, and was awarded for the eighth time. The recognition was presented by Zsolt Semjén Deputy Prime Minister for National Policy, Church Affairs and Nationalities, and Menyhért Dobos, CEO of Duna Media Service Nonprofit Ltd. on 12 December in Budapest.
At the ceremony, Zsolt Semjén said that the award was given to those who had done much for the survival of the nation and for the unity of the Hungarians.
The deputy prime minister said the bishop was greatly influenced by two saints: Mother Teresa and Karol Wojtyła, Pope John Paul II.. As a child he attended a Catholic school in Calcutta where he regularly helped Mother Teresa, from whom she learned that help must be started in your own environment.
László Kiss-Rigó founded the first Catholic school in Esztergom after the change of political system; and in his diocese he built eight churches in ten years, and established schools and kindergartens. The diocese is responsible for public education in 84 institutions.
At the ceremony, Menyhért Dobos announced that the awarded bishop can take over the sculpture by Éva Kun. The statue depicts the Virgin Mary, with the Holy Crown in several pieces, symbolizing the divided parts of the country.
László Kiss-Rigó said he is offering the prize money for charitable purposes. One half is dedicated to supporting the Advent campaign of "It's Good to Be Good!" of the public media, and the other half to completing the community house in Parish of Gyimesfelsőlok.
Finally, he said: "Thank you very much for the great Duna prize also from the bank of the small Tisza".
The recognition was created in the spirit of Duna Television, which began in 1992, in order to acknowledge the work of those who do much for national unity.
The award was first received by Sándor Csoóri, a writer, poet and one of the founders of Duna Television. He was followed by Sándor Sára, the first president of Duna Television, then László Tőkés, a Reformed minister, a Member of the European Parliament. In 2015, Csemadok, the Hungarian Association for Social and Cultural Education in Slovakia, in 2016 the Hungarian Cultural Association of Transcarpathia, in 2017 István Pásztor, President of the Hungarian Association of Vojvodina, and last year the Rákóczi Association were the awardees.
