Optional Memorial, June 12
by Fr. Pascual Chavez, SDB, and Fr. Pierluigi Cameroni, SDB
Your humble blogger was traveling to his new
assignment on June 12-13, and packing for the move in the preceding days (besides carrying on with parish ministry), so is tardy with this post.
On June
12 the Salesian Family celebrates the liturgical memorial of the martyrs
Blessed Francis Kesy and his four companions, who were members of the Salesian
Family as leaders in the Salesian youth center in Poznan, Poland, and were
executed by the Nazi occupiers on August 24, 1942, on account of their
commitment to pastoral work at the Salesian church and youth center of Mary
Help of Christians in Poznan.
 |
| (Bollettino Salesiano) |
All
five of the youths were fully committed to their human and Christian
development, and all five were involved in working with their peers, sharing
similar interests and personal and community projects. Arrested within days of
one another and imprisoned briefly in different places, they were then put into
the same prison and suffered martyrdom the same day and in the same way. Fr.
Juan Vecchi, the Salesian Rector Major (1996-2002), spoke about them in this
way on the occasion of their beatification: Each of them had his own particular
biography, which then became intertwined with that of the others in the common
Salesian setting, which prepared them in a human and spiritual way to embrace
martyrdom.
Francis
Kesy, 22,
was sensitive and frail, often in ill health. But he was cheerful and
good-natured. He loved animals and was always ready to help others. He wanted
to become a Salesian. During the Nazi occupation, he was unable to continue his
studies and took a job in a factory. He spent his free time at the Salesian
youth center, where he was a great friend of the other four and led youth
groups and activities.
Edward
Klinik,
age 23, self-conscious and quiet, became much livelier after joining the
Salesian youth center. He was a conscientious and methodical student. Among the
five he stood out because of his deep commitment to every kind of activity. He
gave the impression of being the most serious and thoughtful.
Jarogniew
Wojciechowski, 20,
was outstanding among the others: he was a contemplative, with a tendency to
look into things more, trying to understand what was going on. He was a leader
in the best sense of the word. He was known for his good spirits, his
commitment, and the good example he gave.
Chester
Jozwiak, 22,
was irascible by nature, but spontaneous, full of energy. He was in control of
himself, consistent, and ready for sacrifice. There was no doubt about the hold
he had over the younger children. He was clearly striving after Christian
perfection and was making good progress in that direction. One of his fellow
prisoners wrote: “He was good natured and had a character with a soul as clear
as crystal.... I could see that his heart was free from any stain of sin, from
any wickedness. He shared with me one of his concerns: that he should never fall
into impurity.”
Edward
Kazmierski, 23,
was noted for his sobriety, prudence, and kindliness. At the Salesian youth
center, he was able to develop his special musical gifts. The religious spirit
he had acquired in his family quickly blossomed into Christian maturity under
the guidance of the Salesians. While in prison he showed great love for his
companions. He willingly helped the older ones and was completely free from any
feelings of hatred toward his persecutors.
These
young men give outstanding proof of the strong formative influence of the
Salesian youth center, when there is opportunity for co-responsibility, when
the educational approach is personalized, and when the Salesians are capable of
guiding the youngsters along the path of faith and of grace. They were arrested
in September 1940 and imprisoned in Fortress VII in Poznan. They were then
moved first to the Neukölln prison, and later to Zwickau, where they were
questioned, tortured, and put to hard labor.
Two
notes show that we are dealing with giants of the spirit: “God alone knows how
much we are suffering. Prayer has been our only support in the depth of the
nights and days.” “God has given us this cross, and he is also giving us the
strength to carry it.”
On
August 1, 1942, they were condemned to death for treason. They stood to hear
the sentence, which was followed by a long silence interrupted only by the
exclamation of one of them: “Thy will be done.” They were condemned simply for
belonging to Catholic organizations, which it was suspected might give rise to
resistance to the Reich.
Before
they died they were able to write to their parents. Reading these lines, one is
astonished by a perception of greatness. A good example is what Francis wrote:
“My dearest parents, brothers, and sisters, the time has come to say good-by to
you. It’s August 24, the day of Mary Help of Christians.… May the Good Lord
take me to himself. Don’t have regrets that I am leaving this world so young. I
am now in a state of grace, and I don’t know whether in the future I would
remain faithful to my promises.... I am going to heaven. Farewell. There I
shall pray to God.… Pray for me sometimes.… I’m going now.”
They
were taken into the prison yard in Dresden and beheaded—on a day when Salesian
communities were keeping the monthly commemoration of Mary Help of Christians.
Their martyrdom crowns the range of youthful Salesian holiness. “We point to
them as intercessors, as well as models of the highest ideals” (Fr. Vecchi).
In Mary Help of Christians Church in Poznan, the five are
venerated as intercessors on behalf of young people who have moved away from
God and the Church, imploring for them the grace to return to Christ. In the
young martyrs we can see representatives of the ideals of young people from
Catholic schools with the vision and the strong desire to serve their country
with dedication in all areas of life, in the name of God’s love. They are the
most convincing proof of the validity of Salesian education.
Francis, Czeslaw, Edward, Edward, and Jarogniew are models
for the young people of today because of their defense of the value of life and
human dignity, and their opposition to false ideologies. Today’s false
ideologies include racism, fanaticism, absolutism of the state, discrimination,
and exploitation of the poorest and most vulnerable. These young men staked
their whole lives on God, Jesus, and the Gospel as the sources of happiness and
life.
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