The Banderites murdered over 25 Poles, incl. Fr Władysław Żygiel. Others: „On Monday, February 14, 1944, a dozen or so Ukrainian terrorists invaded the village of Bieniawa in the Pidhaitsi district. They were dressed in German uniforms and armed with firearms. They spoke the wrong Polish language. At around 10 p.m., several of them surrounded the house of Szpulak Wacław, about 40, with whom the local parish priest, Fr Żygiel Władysław, 38 years old, from Złoczów. Since the attackers spoke Polish, Szpulakowa Anna opened the door for them, the more so because they explained that they would absolutely not do anything bad to anyone, they only had an important interest in the priest. They fired a gunshot in the hallways, so Father Żygiel opened the door for them. The Ukrainians then burst into the room and shot the housekeeper, Father Maria, whose name was unknown, then they tried to kidnap the priest and kidnap him into the fields. Priest Żygiel began to ask them to spare his life, give them money, clothes, shoes and all household appliances, but the attackers replied to his requests and tears that «we wanted nothing but your soul», and then they began to force him out by force from the room. However, because priest Żygiel leaned his feet against the door of the room, the attackers shot him and left, leaving the Szpulak family alone. After the triumphal tour of the whole village, they drove towards Bohatkowiec”. .

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide, February 1944”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]

source: „1944, February 25 - A letter from PolKO in Brzeżany to the RGO Delegate in Lviv regarding the tragic situation of the Polish rural population in the Rohatyn, Podhajce and Brzeżany counties as a result of attacks by Ukrainian bands. Protocol written with Woźniakówna Kunegunda, 17, daughter of Stanisław Woźniak, a farmer in Bieniawa, commune rural Siemiakowice, district Pidhaitsi on February 25, 1944”; in: National Ossoliński Institute, Wrocław, in: No. 16721/2, p. 109—112

Fr Władysław Żygiel, b. in 1905, he was murdered by the UPA on 10.02. 1944 „Despite being aware of the danger, he never left his fold. In 1943, after being expelled from the rectory (the local NKVD seat was located there), thanks to human kindness, he hid in private apartments. On the frosty night of February 10, 1944, while staying in the house of the Szpulak family, he was murdered by members of the Ukrainian UPA gang. According to the accounts of witnesses, the murderer was less than 17 years old. On the news of the crime on February 13, the priests from the neighborhood: the parish priest, Fr Wilhelm Dorożyński from Złotniki, the curate at the time, the current archbishop, Fr Ignacy Tokarczuk and the late parish priest from Sokołów, Fr Franciszek Klinger, assisted by parishioners, made a silent burial of”.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide, February 1944”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]

source: „The shepherd returned to his flock”; in: portal: Niedziela.pl — web page: niedziela.pl [accessible: 2021.04.11]

Shortly before midnight, someone pounded. They waited in fear. After several minutes, the door was forced open. Several men burst into the house. Their companions were waiting in the yard. They headed straight for the priest's door. He didn't open it and they couldn't enter – the door was covered with solid sheet metal. Frightened household members waited for the worst. The priest finally opened it. They made him get dressed. He said he would not go anywhere with them. They tried to pull him out by force. He leaned against the frame. One of the younger attackers was nervous. He shot the priest right in the forehead. His landlady was stabbed with a bayonet. On their way out, they just told the Szpulaks to turn off the lights. – My father was convinced that he would also die, but they did not do anything to him – says Zbigniew Szpulak, who was six months old in February 1944. – The Ukrainians have forbidden to bury the bodies.

source: Żurek Stanisław, „Calendar of the genocide, February 1944”; in: portal: Volhynia — web page: wolyn.org [accessible: 2021.02.04]

source: Wietoszko Rafał, „Fr Władysław returns to parishioners”; in: portal: nto.pl, in: February 3, 2003 — web page: nto.pl [accessible: 2021.04.11]