Servant of God Joseph Vandor

José Vandor Puchner (29 October 1909 – 8 October 1979) – born as József Wech – was a Hungarian Roman Catholic priest and a professed member from the Salesians of Don Bosco. He served in the missions on the island nation of Cuba where he was stationed from 1936 until his death but spent the bulk of that time in Santa Clara where he was since 1954. His beatification cause commenced under Pope John Paul II in 2003 and he was titled thereafter as a Servant of God while Pope Francis titled him as Venerable in 2017 upon the recognition of the late priest's life of heroic virtue. József Wech was born as József Wech in Dorog in the then-Austro-Hungarian Empire on 29 October 1909 to the German-native farmers Sebastian Wech and Maria Puchner. He received his baptism on 31 October and later received his Confirmation in Dorog on 23 May 1920. He received his schooling from the Order of Friars Minor but in spring 1925 moved to Péliföldszentkereszt where he studied under the Salesians of Don Bosco. He grew homesick several times and made several trips back home but his parents did not like this and were prompt in sending Wech back to the Salesians' care. He desired to enter the order but was advised – due to medical grounds – to spend a few months of rest at home before being admitted. Before this he had confided in his parish priest about this wish and that priest in turn introduced him to the Salesians. His novitiate spanned for a brief period from 1927 when he entered until 1928. He made his perpetual profession into the order on 13 August 1932 in Péliföldszentkereszt. In Turin he underwent his theological studies and was ordained to the priesthood there in the basilica on 5 July 1936. He asked to be sent to the missions and his superiors sent him to Central America via a boat on 9 August. He was sent to the island nation of Cuba to Guanabacoa where he arrived on 25 August. He became a Cuban national and changed his name from Wech to Vandor Puchner.