President Tamás Sulyok said Franciscan friar Csaba Bojte does "exemplary work" in the children's homes he founded.
During a visit to a facility in Deva, in western Romania, on Saturday, President Sulyok presented a gift of toys to the children, gathered for the occasion from several homes in Bojte's network.
The president said he was moved to see "a close-knit, lively community" in Deva.
"In an atomic world, when society no longer has forces of cohesion ... the strength of community, the power to help each other is especially crucial," he said.
"I saw on the children's faces and in all their expressions how much they listen to each other ... this is what adults should learn," the president added.