Gábor Íróffy was born on March 26, 1927, in Budapest, the third child of a family of doctors. He completed his secondary education at the Benedictine high school in Győr, and then, following in the footsteps of his older brother Huba, entered the Benedictine Order on December 13, 1944. Upon taking his vows, he received the monastic name Zsolt.

He pursued his theological studies at the University of St. Anselm in Rome between 1946 and 1952. He took his solemn vows on September 8, 1949, and was ordained a priest on June 24, 1951.

In 1952, he moved to Brazil, where he soon became a teacher at the St. Imre High School in São Paulo. In addition, he earned teaching credentials in English and Latin and took an active role in organizing the cultural and educational life of the Hungarian Catholic community in Brazil. As the founder and president of the St. Imre Club, he also carried out significant community-building work. From 1974, he served as the high school’s principal; later, as the institution grew, he became its rector, and then served the school as honorary rector until the end of his life. From 1981, he also served as sub-dean of the St. Gellért Abbey for several years.

He holds a prominent place in the history of Hungarian Catholic education in Brazil: he was one of the ten founding fathers of the Hungarian Catholic educational institution in São Paulo. In addition to his work in school administration, he was also involved in linguistics and music. He dedicated his multifaceted talents to serving the community throughout his life; as honorary rector, he also founded the institution’s newest unit, the Eszterháza Music School.

His work was recognized with awards on several occasions. His most significant honor was the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary, which he received “in recognition of his activities promoting and passing on Hungarian cultural heritage in Brazil.”

Even during his serious illness, he bore his suffering with serenity and inner peace. According to those who knew him, he never complained despite his difficulties, but faced life’s trials with faith and composure.