Blessed Ladislao Batthyány-Strattmann
Born into an ancient noble Hungarian family, he studied agriculture, chemistry, physics, philosophy,
literature, music, and medicine at the University of Vienna, graduating with a medical degree in 1900.
Twoyears later, Ladislao opened a private 25-bed hospital in Kittsee, Austria. He worked there as a
general practitioner, and when he had sufficient staff, specialized as a surgeon and eye doctor. During World War I
the floodof injured soldiers required him to expand the hospital to 120 beds. In 1915 Ladislao inherited the castle
of Körmend, Hungary, and with it the family nameStrattman and the title of Prince. In 1920 he moved his family to
the castle and turned one wing into a hospital specializing in eye diseases.
Dr. Ladislao never turned away a patient because they could not pay and provided funds to the destitute. He
treated all, kept them in the hospital as long as necessary, gave away medications, accepted what patients would
pay whentheywould,never asking for afeefromanyone, asking only thatthey pray an Our Father for him.He
prayed over each patient before working onthem, knew that his skills were simply God working through his
hands, and used his family fortune to help the poor. Pope St. John Paul II beatified Ladislao on March 23, 2003.
