LAY MARTYR- APOSTLE OF MERCY

 

BLESSED STANISLAUS KOSTKA STAROWIEYSKI was born in Poland in 1895, into a wealthy political family, who were very active Catholics. Graduating from high school in 1914, Stanislaw went on to study law at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. However, his academic pursuits were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I.

Undeterred by the obstacles presented by the war, Stanislaw joined the Austro-Hungarian army and became a soldier and officer, serving on the eastern front and in Italy.

After the war, he played a vital role in the establishment of the Polish army in 1918. Stanislaw's dedication to his country led him to actively participate in the Polish-Ukrainian War of 1918 & 1919, where he notably defended the citadel of Lviv.

 He continued his military service in the Polish‚ Russian war of 1920, rising through the ranks to become a captain and earning numerous decorations for his bravery. However, his military career was cut short by a near-fatal bout of dysentery in 1920.

Returning to civilian life, Stanislaw exhibited exceptional organizational and people skills. Recognizing the importance of agriculture in the country, he studied the subject and, in 1921, assumed the management of the 1,000-acre Zamosc farms in Labunie, Poland.

His reputation as a fair employer who ensured just wages and medical coverage for his workers quickly spread.  Bl. Stanisław was a model for living a vibrant Catholic life. He went to daily Mass, organized retreats and pilgrimages, visited orphans, and later in the concentration camps he cared for the spiritual needs of other prisoners.

In 1921 he married Maria Szeptycka, niece of Bl. Klymentiy Sheptysky and of Venerable Andrey Sheptysky of the Ukranian Greek Catholic Church. The couple moved into a war-damaged estate given to them by Stanisław’s father-in-law, but rather than use their money to rebuild the estate, they lived in a small building on the property, giving generously to the poor, and raising six children.

 After housing refugees during World War II, he was arrested together with his brother Marian in November 1939, by the Nazis for being a Catholic leader. While they initially managed to escape, Marian was recaptured and sent to the Russian interior, never to be heard from again.

 Stanislaw's freedom was short-lived, as he was apprehended by German troops and taken to the notorious Nazi concentration camp at Dachau, Germany.

He became known as an apostle of mercy, living as a concentration camp prisoner, sharing his food with fellow prisoners, and urging them to hope. For those reasons, and because he came from a family of Polish nobility, he was regularly beaten by guards, often brutally. Taking those beatings, his health declined fast, and Stanislaw died on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1941.

His unwavering faith, his commitment to his fellow human beings, and his martyrdom for the Catholic cause have made him a symbol of inspiration and holiness.

Pope St. John Paul II, recognizing his heroic virtues and sacrificial death,  beatified him on June 13, 1999.

 In his homily at the beatification, St. John Paul II talked about the hope of Polish people amid the horrors they experienced in the Second World War:

 “Faith in divine mercy made it possible for hope to endure in us. This hope did not concern social rebirth alone, or merely the restoration of dignity to man in the different world contexts.

Our hope penetrates far deeper: it is directed in fact to the divine promises which go far beyond temporal realities. Its definitive object is the sharing in the fruits of the saving work of Christ.”

His feast day is commemorated on June 4, and he is also honored as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War II on June 12.

Blessed Stanislaw Kostka Starowieyski remains an enduring example of selflessness, devotion, and courage in the face of adversity.