There were a lot of victims of concentration camps who have shed their blood innocently. However, it is not their number that makes the crime committed during World War II so tremendous, but rather unimaginable suffering of every human who was murdered there.
The Augustinian Order has also its representatives who have died in extermination camps. They were all consecrated people whose outstanding contribution to social issues distinguished them. They are, namely, Fr. Wilhelm Gaczek with his three companions: Fr. Krzysztof Olszewski, Fr. Edmund Wilucki and Brother Kazimierz Lipka. Now those Polish Augustinian martyrs – servants of God – undergo a beatification process.
PRAYER FOR BEATIFICATION OF THE AUGUSTINIAN MARTYRS FROM THE PERIOD OF WORLD WAR II
(unofficial translation)
Lord God, almighty Father,
you show us your love every time.
In the midst of the world, torn by fight, discord,
terror and violence you let a man to be ready for reconciliation.
The martyrs, being brought to the glory of the altars, are a sign
of the triumph of good over evil as well as of the forgiveness.
Grant that the death of the Augustinians, suffered for faith,
be a leaven of reconciliation,
mercy and peace. Let memory of them
intensify our gratitude for the revival
of the Augustinian life on Polish land.
Heavenly Father, accept our common prayer
for the beatification of the Augustinian Martyrs –
Fr. Wilhelm Gaczek with his three companions:
Fr. Krzysztof Olszewski,
Fr. Edmund Wilucki, Brother Kazimierz Lipka.
Strengthen us in giving witness to the faith,
hope and love, as well as to our zealous service to you.
Grant each of us graces that we beg you for…
We hand over to you all our concerns, o good Father,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Imprimatur:
Metropolitan Curia of Archdiocese of Cracow
Bishop Jan Szkodoń – Vicar General
Fr. Kazimierz Moskała – Vice-Chancellor
Fr. Stanisław Szczepaniec, Ph.D. – Censor
We kindly ask you to inform us about the graces you have received through intercession of the Augustinian Martyrs.
Mailing address:
Postulation for the Cause of the Augustinian Martyrs
Monastery of St. Catherine
ul. Augustiańska 7, 31-064 Cracow, Poland
E-mail:
sekretariat@augustianie.pl
On this web page there are systematically being put links to the resources concerning our Martyrs from the Monastery of St. Catherine of Alexandria. In parallel, suitable pieces of information are being published on the website of Polish Augustinians. Below there is a list of links. They are ordered by their dates – from those referring to the latest events to the oldest ones.
Biographies of the Augustinian Martyrs (02.02.2019/13.02.2019):
- text of the leaflet about the Augustinian Martyrs, posted on the website of the Order of St. Augustine:
„Martyrs from the Kazimierz district” – an interview with Fr. Piotr Lamprecht, OSA, the notary in the beatification process (22.12.2018):
Unveiling the commemorative plaque in honor of Brother Kazimierz Lipka in the Church of St. Nicholas in Sidzin (06.12.2018):
„A night of threat” – reminiscences of a death camp survivor, Fr. Bonifacy Woźny, OSA (22.11.2018):
Prayer for the beatification of Fr. Wilhelm Gaczek, OSA, and three companions (17.11.2018):
- an article on the website of the Order of St. Augustine in Poland
- an article on the website „Życie Zakonne” („Religious Life”)
- a recording placed on the Youtube channel of Archdiocese of Cracow
Beginning of the beatification process (04.09.2018):
- an article on the website of the Order of St. Augustine in Poland
- a recording placed on the Youtube channel of Archdiocese of Cracow
Request for the initiation of beatification process (24.05.2017):
Augustinian Martyrs from Kazimierz – intercede for us!