Fr. Jan Swierc & His Companions

Fr. Jan Swierc & His Companion Martyrs

Who were they?

(ANS – Krakow – May 11, 2026) – As we look forward to the beatification ceremony of the 9 Salesian educator-martyrs of World War II, we can see in them witnesses to the faith, persevering and faithful shepherds to the very end, despite the difficult trials they faced. The recognition of their holiness will preserve their memory even more for the benefit of . today’s younger generations, who need exemplars.

John Paul II, in a letter addressed to Fr. Tadeusz Szaniawski, then pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in Krakow, wrote on October 2, 1996: “I remember the Salesian priests, of whom only the elderly pastor and the provincial remained during the war, while all the others were deported to Auschwitz.”

During the beatification process, several witnesses highlighted their priestly and pastoral zeal and recognized them as outstanding priests, worthy of remembrance and veneration.

The witnesses also recounted that during the cold, dark nights in the concentration camp alongside other prisoners, often condemned to death, the Salesians, despite the ban imposed on them, celebrated the Eucharist, administered the sacrament of Penance, and prepared many souls deprived of their identity and human dignity for death. The fire of their love, which burned most intensely during the most dramatic hours, echoes in the accounts of the witnesses who, among the many victims of the concentration camps, recognized in the 9 Servants of God an exceptional and unique witness.

A witness to the sufferings endured in the concentration camp by the future Blessed Fr. Ludwik Mroczek, SDB, recounts: “ In the evenings I would go to visit Fr. Mroczek. Conversations with him brought comfort. With his simple faith and his frank words, he knew how to win people over and reassure them. In everything he knew how to point out God’s purpose. His simplicity and kindness had a calming effect on people in that sea of anger, hatred, resentment, and suffering that surrounded the venerable priest. We loved him. He was a titan of suffering.”

In the heart of the hell of the concentration camp, what is most astonishing are 2 attitudes: unshakeable faith and the capacity to forgive. In the accounts of Fr. Jan Swierc’s martyrdom, we read how he prayed at the moment of death: “O Jesus, O Jesus, have mercy on us.” His prayer provoked the anger of one of the kapos, who said to him: “Wait, in a moment I will show you Jesus; there is no God here; he will not help you. He will not snatch you from my hands.” The cruelty of the executioner did not interrupt Fr. Jan’s trusting dialog with the Lord, to whose will he had entrusted everything. From the lips of the Servant of God, who implored his Savior unceasingly, came only a plea for mercy.

Another noteworthy testimony concerns Fr. Karol Golda. The concentration camp became for him a place of apostolate: “Fr. Karol had a serene disposition; he was an optimist and knew how to convey to others a calmness of spirit and self-control. He spent his free time with his fellow prisoners. The Servant of God comforted them, supported them, heard their confessions, and accompanied them on their final journey. No one is able to describe the immensity of his priestly work, carried out in secret. He did all this with joy and zeal, because he knew that the Lord had sent him there precisely for this purpose”

Saint John Paul II wrote: “Martyrdom is, in the end, a shining sign of the Church’s holiness: fidelity to God’s holy law, witnessed to thru death, is a solemn proclamation and a missionary commitment usque ad sanguinem [to the point of blood] so that the splendor of moral truth may not be obscured in the customs and mindset of individuals and society” (Veritatis Splendor, 93).

And on another occasion, returning to the subject of the martyrs of the 20th century, he recalled that martyrs are a light for the Church and for humanity: “Christians in Europe and thruout the world, bowing in prayer at the gates of concentration camps and prisons, must be grateful for that light of Christ which they have made shine forth in the darkness” (“Address by John Paul II during his visit to the Church of the Basilian Fathers,” 7th Apostolic Journey to Poland, June 11, 1999).

“We believe that the martyr’s death of our Salesian martyrs will be a source of inspiration for future generations, particularly for young followers of Christ, who, looking to their example, will find in them wonderful models of how to follow Christ in today’s world, remaining faithful to him until the end”—this is the emotional comment from the Salesians in Poland.