MARTYR FOR THE ROSARY

 

I had planned to devote the month of October to some modern day martyrs from the Ukraine and Poland and start with a story I just read.

This week we celebrate the feast of our Lady of the Rosary. And in the news, very relevant to the on-going crises in the Ukraine, is a story of a Ukrainian woman who died praying the rosary.

JANINA JANDULSKA was a 30-year-old disabled woman, who led a Rosary prayer group. In 1937 she was arrested and accused of leading an underground political organiZation opposed to the Soviet government. She was murdered while still in police custody.

In 1937, Janina was living in Ukraine, in the village of Wierzboviec with her mother. Like other people in the village, she joined a prayer group, called “Living Rosary.” These sort of groups became popular after the establishment of the Soviet Union.

 Her country became part of the USSR after the Bolshevik revolution, in 1917.

At that time, the dictator Joseph Stalin wanted to reunite the old Russian Empire. Once their power was assured and growing, they began to persecute Christians.

 

After the government closed the seminaries and arrested priests, the faithful were left to find other ways of meeting. Prayer services were led by lay people who also taught the catechism to young people.  

Janina began hosting the meetings of the “Living Rosary” prayer group in her own home.  A communist official was informed about the meetings and alerted the authorities. The police arrived at the girl’s house and arrested her.

 Later, she had the following conversation with the state prosecutor:

“Are you the organiser of the Rosary?”

-“Yes, I am the leader of the Living Rosary. But it is not an organisation. We are just praying to God.”

– “How many people are there?”

– “Fifteen.”

– “Fifteen! And you say it is not an organisation. Who recruited you and who sent you the books?”

The prosecutor would not accept Janina’s explanation when this simple disabled girl said that they just gathered to pray. His cross examination continued:

-“But God does not exist.”

-“For you, God does not exist. But for us, he exists.”

 He looked at the poor woman in front of him and continued:

-“Now you are here, so who will replace you?”

-“Someone who believes in God,” answered Janina.

Sometime later, Janina’s mother was informed about her daughter’s death. The cause of her death was falsely stated to be caused by a “liver infection”, but  later, it was revealed that she died from a bullet fired into her head.

Today, Janina’s picture hangs in a Catholic church in her hometown, where she is honored as a martyr of the faith. May she intercede for the people of her country, and may we all pray to our Mother of the Rosary for an end to the plight of the Ukrainian people.

Painting: Natale Bentivaglio Scarpa (d. 1946) Italian