[1][2] Those who knew her best described her as being a modest and simple girl who attended Mass each morning and assumed care of the household following her mother's death in her late childhood.

The process culminated on 6 March 2018 after Pope Francis confirmed both that she had died in defensum castitatis ("in defense of chastity") and her forthcoming beatification.

Anna Kolesárová was born on 14 July 1928 in the Michalovce District in the former Czechoslovakia to Ján Kolesár (known to friends as "Hruška") and Anka née Kušnírová.

[5][2] In 1944 - in the autumn - the final and bloodiest phase to World War II (the Eastern front) was passing through the Kolesárová's native Zemplín region, which was then a part of the Hungarian state.

It was during this violent transition period that the people living in surrounding villages would hide in their cellars to wait for the shelling and fighting to end.

[4] The uncertain nature of the war prompted her and other women in the village to wear black dresses in order not to attract unwanted attention to themselves and to discourage improper behavior from the soldiers.

[10][2] The Jesuit priest Michal Potocký also provided information about Kolesárová's life and the circumstances surrounding her death.

There are also frequent pilgrimages to her grave (three times per year, in February, April and August), while in Pavlovce nad Uhom there is a large gathering that is dedicated to her which is popular among adolescents.

[13][14] The beatification process commenced on 3 July 2004 after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints titled her as a Servant of God and declared "nihil obstat" (no objections) to the cause.

later validated the diocesan process in Rome on 14 June 2013 and received the 650-paged Positio dossier from the postulation (officials leading the cause) in 2015 for evaluation.