For the alumnae in Hungary these connections only became possible again in 1990, when the political system changed after 50 years, to create an Association, which then was joined - of course - by the different active groups of Hungarian alumnae abroad.

Also, the foreign alumnae of Austria, Belgium, France and Poland made contact with us very soon.

As the Sacred Heart Houses in Hungary and Austria belonged together under the Provinciate of Vienna since last century, it was natural that we established the closest connections with the Austrian alumnae. This started with a visit of two bus loads of Hungarian alumnae to Pressbaum for an 8th of December celebration. At that time, many of the RSCJ sisters of our school days in Budapest were still alive, and we visited the graves of those who had departed. Many of the alumnae living abroad came to this meeting, which warmed our hearts in the "Sacred Heart spirit" we all longed for. Then, a year later a group of the Austrian alumnae came to Budapest and visited the two former Sacred Heart School buildings, one of which is now the Piarist monastery and boys' school (and recently returned to the Society - the Piarists will probably move from there in two or three years). They also paid a visit to the then newly established little new community of RSCJ sisters and novices of Hungary, and the visit ended with an evening together on a boat on the Danube. These meetings were followed by others on different occasions.

The most recent was when three board memebers of our association went to Vienna in December last year to take part in the "jour fixe" of the Austrian alumnae connected with the Christmas bazaar for children and a dinner. We showed them a video about Hungary and the Sacred Heart Society's house in Budapest, which we took to Mexico to the AMASC Congress in the spring of last year. We were invited to a common lunch next day by the Austrian alumnae. Sister Anna LÁSZLÓ, who was with some of us in the Sacred Heart boarding school and entered the Society in America, was also with us. She was in hospital then because she was ill, but was allowed out for the week-end as she felt well. She had been one of the two Sacred Heart sisters who first returned to Hungary at the end of '89, and was in Vienna in December last year only because of her illness. We had a very good talk together and she said she hoped to be back in Budapest soon. Five days later she died, and sadly, returned to Budapest only for her funeral! This funeral was a very sad but beautiful meeting again for the Austrian and Hungarian sisters, novices and alumnae. Father Kozma, head of the movement of the Knights of Malta, who worked together with Sister Anna for many long years, spoke of her with great respect and deep friendship. His words will be, for us, as unforgettable as Sister Anna herself.

Eva Szalai Kohl