• OUR LADY of CZĘSTOCHOWA: st Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionOUR LADY of CZĘSTOCHOWA
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
link to OUR LADY of PERPETUAL HELP in SŁOMCZYN infoSITE LOGO

Roman Catholic
St Sigismund parish
05-507 Słomczyn
85 Wiślana Str.
Konstancin deanery
Warsaw archdiocese, Poland

  • St SIGISMUND: St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
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Martyrology of the clergy — Poland

XX century (1914 – 1989)

personal data

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  • KOTWICKI John, source: www.kchodorowski.republika.pl, own collection; CLICK TO ZOOM AND DISPLAY INFOKOTWICKI John
    source: www.kchodorowski.republika.pl
    own collection

surname

KOTWICKI

forename(s)

John (pl. Jan)

  • KOTWICKI John - Tombstone, parish church, Chrynów, source: wolyn1943.pl, own collection; CLICK TO ZOOM AND DISPLAY INFOKOTWICKI John
    Tombstone, parish church, Chrynów
    source: wolyn1943.pl
    own collection
  • KOTWICKI John - Commemorative plaque, parish church, Kałków-Godów, source: www.stowarzyszenieuozun.wroclaw.pl, own collection; CLICK TO ZOOM AND DISPLAY INFOKOTWICKI John
    Commemorative plaque, parish church, Kałków-Godów
    source: www.stowarzyszenieuozun.wroclaw.pl
    own collection
  • KOTWICKI John - Commemorative plaque, parish church, Czerwona Woda, source: wegliniec.pl, own collection; CLICK TO ZOOM AND DISPLAY INFOKOTWICKI John
    Commemorative plaque, parish church, Czerwona Woda
    source: wegliniec.pl
    own collection
  • KOTWICKI John - Commemorative plaque, St Stanislaus church, Sankt Petersburg, source: ipn.gov.pl, own collection; CLICK TO ZOOM AND DISPLAY INFOKOTWICKI John
    Commemorative plaque, St Stanislaus church, Sankt Petersburg
    source: ipn.gov.pl
    own collection

function

diocesan priest

creed

Latin (Roman Catholic) Church RCmore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.09.21]

diocese / province

Lutsk diocesemore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2013.05.19]

Lutsk‐Zhytomyr diocese (aeque principaliter)more on
www.catholic-hierarchy.org
[access: 2021.12.19]

date and place
of death

11.07.1943

Khrynivtoday: Novovolynsk urban hrom., Volodymyr rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
uk.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.07.05]

details of death

After ordination in Poland crossed illegally over the border to Russia and returned to his homeland and his Zhytomyr diocese.

For the first time arrested by Russians on 04.11.1923, together with Fr Andrew Fedukowicz and Fr Anthony Traczyński among others, and accused of membership of „White Eagle”, clandestine Polish resistance organization, and espionage for Poland.

Released on 25.12.1923.

Few months later, on 09.05.1924, arrested in Zhytomyr again.

Held in Zhytomyr prison.

During interrogations fell sick and was put in prison hospital.

Next transferred to Kharkiv prison.

There on 22.09.1925 tried by Russians and sentenced to three years in Russian slave labour concentration camps (future Gulag).

On 12.01.1926 transported to ITL SLON Solovetsky Islands concentration camp.

From there in 05.1927 moved to Butyrki prison in Moscow.

On 22.07.1927 released but forbidden to settle in a number of large cities and the regions they were capital of and in the areas near the border.

Moved to Nieżyn in Czernihowszczyzna.

On 03.01.1928 exchanged for Russian spies in Poland.

Settled in Lutsk diocese.

After German and Russian invasion of Poland and start of the World War II in 09.1939, after German attack on 22.06.1941 of their erstwhile allies, Russians, and start of German occupation, during the genocide perpetrated by Ukrainians, known as „Volyn genocide” — murdered during an attack on the church, when celebrating Holy Mass.

Shot dead by Ukrainians from the genocidal OUN/UPA organization, together with a group of women, when attempting to escape through the vestry.

On this day, known as „bloody Sunday”, when Ukrainian murderers/genociders attacked at least 99 villages and in a most barbaric, unimaginable fashion slaughtered most of their Polish inhabitants, during the attack on the Khryniv village Ukrainians murdered c. 150 Poles — shooting at c. 200 parishioners, mostly women and children, congregated in the church from automatic machine guns.

Week later Ukrainians burnt all the building and church in the village to the ground — today Khryniv does not exist.

cause of death

mass murder

perpetrators

Ukrainians

sites and events

«Genocidium Atrox»Click to display the description, Ribbentrop‐MolotovClick to display the description, Pius XI's encyclicalsClick to display the description, Moscow (Butyrki)Click to display the description, ITL SLONClick to display the description, Kharkiv (prison)Click to display the description, Zhytomyr (prison)Click to display the description

date and place
of birth

03.10.1898

Szyjecka Budatoday: Berezivka hrom., Zhytomyr rai., Zhytomyr obl., Ukraine
more on
uk.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.07.16]

alt. dates and places
of birth

10.10.1898

Szedska Buda

presbyter (holy orders)
ordination

1922 (Gnieznotoday: Gniezno urban gm., Gniezno pov., Greater Poland voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
)

positions held

1942 – 1943

parish priest — Khrynivtoday: Novovolynsk urban hrom., Volodymyr rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
uk.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.07.05]
⋄ RC parish ⋄ Volodymyr‐Volynskyitoday: Volodymyr, Volodymyr urban hrom., Volodymyr rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.07.31]
RC deanery

1941 – 1942

priest — Kamin‐Kashyrskyitoday: Kamin‐Kashyrskyi urban hrom., Kamin‐Kashyrskyi rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.11.27]
RC deanery — Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Ratno, Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Buceń, Zabłocie, Nesukhoize (today Volya) parishes; resident in Kovel

parish priest — Sokiltoday: Sokul hrom., Lutsk rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
uk.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.07.05]
⋄ Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians RC parish ⋄ Kolkytoday: Kolky hrom., Lutsk rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.19]
RC deanery

1936 – 1938

parish priest — Vyshhorodoktoday: Lanivtsi urban hrom., Kremenets rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
uk.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.07.05]
⋄ Descent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) RC parish ⋄ Kremenetstoday: Kremenets urban hrom., Kremenets rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.10.18]
RC deanery

1935 – 1936

parish priest — Bilozirkatoday: Lanivtsi urban hrom., Kremenets rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.17]
⋄ St Rock the Confessor RC parish ⋄ Kremenetstoday: Kremenets urban hrom., Kremenets rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.10.18]
RC deanery

1931 – 1934

parish priest — Zofiówkavillage
today: non‐existent, Lutsk rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine

more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.07.05]
⋄ St Sophie the Virgin and Martyr RC parish ⋄ Lutsktoday: Lutsk city rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.17]
RC deanery

1930 – 1931

administrator — Zasmykivillage
today: non‐existent, Bilashiv hrom., Kovel rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine

more on
www.swzygmunt.knc.pl
[access: 2022.07.05]
⋄ RC parish ⋄ Koveltoday: Kovel urban hrom., Kovel rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.19]
RC deanery

1930 – 1931

vicar — Koveltoday: Kovel urban hrom., Kovel rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.19]
⋄ St Anne RC parish ⋄ Koveltoday: Kovel urban hrom., Kovel rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.19]
RC deanery

c. 1929 – 1930

vicar — Rivnetoday: Rivne urban hrom., Rivne rai., Rivne obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.17]
⋄ Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Anthony of Padua RC parish ⋄ Rivnetoday: Rivne urban hrom., Rivne rai., Rivne obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.17]
RC deanery

1922 – 1924

vicar — Zhytomyrtoday: Zhytomyr urban hrom., Zhytomyr rai., Zhytomyr obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.17]
⋄ St Sophie RC cathedral parish ⋄ Zhytomyrtoday: Zhytomyr urban hrom., Zhytomyr rai., Zhytomyr obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.17]
RC deanery

1920 – 1922

student — Gnieznotoday: Gniezno urban gm., Gniezno pov., Greater Poland voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
⋄ philosophy and theology, Archbishop's Practical Theological Seminary (Lat. Seminarium Clericorum Practicum) ⋄ Lutsk‐Żytomierz RC diocese

1919 – 1920

student — Olykatoday: Olyka hrom., Lutsk rai., Volyn obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.17]
⋄ philosophy and theology, Theological Seminary ⋄ Lutsk‐Żytomierz RC diocese — also: for some time in Tarnów Theological Seminary

from 1917

student — Zhytomyrtoday: Zhytomyr urban hrom., Zhytomyr rai., Zhytomyr obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.17]
⋄ philosophy and theology, Theological Seminary

others related
in death

ALEKSANDROWICZClick to display biography Joseph, FEDUKOWICZClick to display biography Andrew, TRACZYŃSKIClick to display biography Anthony, BARANClick to display biography Charles, SZAWŁOWSKIClick to display biography Boleslav

sites and events
descriptions

«Genocidium Atrox»: In 1939‐1947, especially in 1943‐1944, independent Ukrainian units, mainly belonging to genocidal Ukrainian organizations OUN (political arm) and UPA (military arm), supported by local Ukrainian population, murdered — often in extremely brutal way — in Volyn and surrounding regions of pre‐war Poland, from 130,000 to 180,000 Poles, all civilians: men, women, children, old and young. Polish‐Ukrainian conflict that openly emerged during and after World War I (in particular resulting in Polish‐Ukrainian war of 1918‐1919), that survived and even deepened later when western Ukraine became a part Poland, exploded again after the outbreak of the World War II in 09.1939. During Russian occupation of 1939‐1941, when hundreds of thousands of Poles were deported into central Russia, when tens of thousands were murdered (during so‐called Katyń massacres, among others), this open conflict had a limited character, helped by the fact that at that time Ukrainians, Ukrainian nationalists in particular, were also persecuted by the Russians. The worst came after German‐Russian war started on 22.06.1941 and German occupation resulted. Initially Ukrainians supported Germans (Ukrainian police was initiated, Ukrainians co—participated in extermination of the Jews and were joining army units fighting alongside Germans). Later when German ambivalent position towards Ukraine became apparent Ukrainians started acting independently. And in 1943 one of the units of aforementioned Ukrainian OUN/UPA organization, in Volyn, started and perpetrated a genocide of Polish population of this region. In mere few weeks OUN/UPA murdered, with Germans passively watching on the sidelines, more than 40,000 Poles. This strategy was consequently approved and adopted by all OUN/UPA organisations and similar genocides took place in Eastern Lesser Poland (part of Ukraine) where more than 20,000 Poles were slaughtered, meeting however with growing resistance from Polish population. Further west, in Chełm, Rzeszów, etc. regions this genocide turned into an extremely bloody conflict. In general genocide, perpetrated by Ukrainian nationalists, partly collaborating with German occupants, on vulnerable Polish population took part in hundreds of villages and small towns, where virtually all Polish inhabitants were wiped out. More than 200 priests, religious and nuns perished in this holocaust — known as «Genocidium Atrox» (Eng. „savage genocide”) The nature and purpose of genocide is perhaps best reflected in the song sung by the murderers: „We will slaughter the Poles, we will cut down the Jews, we must conquer the great Ukraine” (ukr. „Поляків виріжем, Євреїв видусим, велику Україну здобути мусим”). This holocaust and conflict ended up in total elimination of Polish population and Polish culture from Ukraine, in enforced deportations in 1944‐1945 of remaining Poles from Ukraine and some Ukrainians into Ukraine proper, and finally in deportation of Ukrainians from East‐South to the Western parts of Polish republic prl by Commie‐Nazi Russian controlled Polish security forces („Vistula Action”). (more on: www.swzygmunt.knc.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2021.06.20]
)

Ribbentrop‐Molotov: Genocidal Russian‐German alliance pact between Russian leader Joseph Stalin and German leader Adolf Hitler signed on 23.08.1939 in Moscow by respective foreign ministers, Mr. Vyacheslav Molotov for Russia and Joachim von Ribbentrop for Germany. The pact sanctioned and was the direct cause of joint Russian and German invasion of Poland and the outbreak of the World War II in 09.1939. In a political sense, the pact was an attempt to restore the status quo ante before 1914, with one exception, namely the „commercial” exchange of the so‐called „Kingdom of Poland”, which in 1914 was part of the Russian Empire, fore Eastern Galicia (today's western Ukraine), in 1914 belonging to the Austro‐Hungarian Empire. Galicia, including Lviv, was to be taken over by the Russians, the „Kingdom of Poland” — under the name of the General Governorate — Germany. The resultant „war was one of the greatest calamities and dramas of humanity in history, for two atheistic and anti‐Christian ideologies — national and international socialism — rejected God and His fifth Decalogue commandment: Thou shall not kill!” (Abp Stanislav Gądecki, 01.09.2019). The decisions taken — backed up by the betrayal of the formal allies of Poland, France and Germany, which on 12.09.1939, at a joint conference in Abbeville, decided not to provide aid to attacked Poland and not to take military action against Germany (a clear breach of treaty obligations with Poland) — were on 28.09.1939 slightly altered and made more precise when a treaty on „German‐Russian boundaries and friendship” was agreed by the same murderous signatories. One of its findings was establishment of spheres of influence in Central and Eastern Europe and in consequence IV partition of Poland. In one of its secret annexes agreed, that: „the Signatories will not tolerate on its respective territories any Polish propaganda that affects the territory of the other Side. On their respective territories they will suppress all such propaganda and inform each other of the measures taken to accomplish it”. The agreements resulted in a series of meeting between two genocidal organization representing both sides — German Gestapo and Russian NKVD when coordination of efforts to exterminate Polish intelligentsia and Polish leading classes (in Germany called «Intelligenzaktion», in Russia took the form of Katyń massacres) where discussed. Resulted in deaths of hundreds of thousands of Polish intelligentsia, including thousands of priests presented here, and tens of millions of ordinary people,. The results of this Russian‐German pact lasted till 1989 and are still in evidence even today. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2015.09.30]
)

Pius XI's encyclicals: Facing the creation of two totalitarian systems in Europe, which seemed to compete with each other, though there were more similarities than contradictions between them, Pope Pius XI issued in 03.1937 (within 5 days) two encyclicals. In the „Mit brennender Sorge” (Eng. „With Burning Concern”) published on 14.03.1938, condemned the national socialism prevailing in Germany. The Pope wrote: „Whoever, following the old Germanic‐pre‐Christian beliefs, puts various impersonal fate in the place of a personal God, denies the wisdom of God and Providence […], whoever exalts earthly values: race or nation, or state, or state system, representatives of state power or other fundamental values of human society, […] and makes them the highest standard of all values, including religious ones, and idolizes them, this one […] is far from true faith in God and from a worldview corresponding to such faith”. On 19.03.1937, published „Divini Redemptoris” (Eng. „Divine Redeemer”), in which criticized Russian communism, dialectical materialism and the class struggle theory. The Pope wrote: „Communism deprives man of freedom, and therefore the spiritual basis of all life norms. It deprives the human person of all his dignity and any moral support with which he could resist the onslaught of blind passions […] This is the new gospel that Bolshevik and godless communism preaches as a message of salvation and redemption of humanity”… Pius XI demanded that the established human law be subjected to the natural law of God , recommended the implementation of the ideal of a Christian state and society, and called on Catholics to resist. Two years later, National Socialist Germany and Communist Russia came together and started World War II. (more on: www.vatican.vaClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.05.28]
, www.vatican.vaClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.05.28]
)

Moscow (Butyrki): Harsh transit and interrogation prison in Moscow — for political prisoners — where Russians held and murdered thousands of Poles. Founded prob. in XVII century. In XIX century many Polish insurgents (Polish uprisings of 1831 and 1863) were held there. During Communist regime a place of internment for political prisoners prior to a transfer to Russian slave labour complex Gulag. During the Great Purge c. 20,000 inmates were held there at any time (c. 170 in every cell). Thousands were murdered. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2020.05.01]
)

ITL SLON: Russian Rus. Исправи́тельно‐Трудово́й Ла́герь (Eng. Corrective Labor Camp) ITL Rus. Солове́цкий ла́герь осо́бого назначе́ния Ла́герь (Eng. Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp) SLON — concentration and slave forced labor camp (within what was to become Gulag complex) — headquartered in Solovetsky Islands in Arkhangelsk Oblast. Founded on 13.10.1923 in a famous Orthodox monastery. In the 1920s, one of the first and largest concentration camps in Russia. The place of slave labor of prisoners — at forest felling, sawmills, peat extraction, fishing, loading work on the Murmansk Railway Main Line, in road construction, production of food and consumer goods, at the beginning of the construction of the White Sea ‐ Baltic canal, etc. The concept of the later system of Russian Gulag concentration camps prob. had its origins in the Solovetsky Islands camp — from there the idea spread to the camps in the area covered by the construction of the White Sea ‐ Baltic canal, i.e. ITL BelBaltLag, and from there further, to the entire territory of the Russian state. From the network of camps on the Solovetsky Islands — also called the Solovetsky Islands archipelago — prob. also comes the concept of the „Gulag Archipelago” created by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. It is estimated that tens to hundreds of thousands of prisoners passed through the Solovetsky Islands concentration camps. At its peak, c. 72,000 prisoners were held there: e.g. 14,810 (12.1927); 12,909 (03.1928); 65,000 (1929); 53,123 (01.01.1930); 63,000 (01.06.1930); 71,800 (01.01.1931); 15,130 (1932); 19,287 (1933) — c. 43,000 of whom were murdered, including the years 1937‐1938 when c. 9,500 prisoners were transported from the camp and murdered in several places of mass executions, including Sandarmokh, Krasny Bor and Lodeynoye Polye. Among them were many Catholic and Orthodox priests. After the National Socialist Party came to power in Germany in 1933, a German delegation visited the ITL SLON camp, to „inspect” Russian solutions and adopt them later in German concentration camps. It operated until 04.12.1933, with a break from 16.11.1931 to 01.01.1932, when it was part of and later became a subcamp of the ITL BelBaltLag camp. It operated as such until 1939 (from 1936 as a prison). (more on: old.memo.ruClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2024.04.08]
)

Kharkiv (prison): Russian criminal prison where in the 1930s a number of Catholic priests were held prior to being sent to Russian concentration camps.

Zhytomyr (prison): Russian investigative prison known for cruel interrogation methods used by the Russians. Execution site as well.

sources

personal:
www.duszki.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2012.11.23]
, nawolyniu.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.01.06]
, www.niedziela.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.05.19]
, www.kchodorowski.republika.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.01.26]
, biographies.library.nd.eduClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.05.09]
, pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.05.19]

bibliographical:
Martyrology of the Polish Roman Catholic clergy under nazi occupation in 1939‐1945”, Victor Jacewicz, John Woś, vol. I‐V, Warsaw Theological Academy, 1977‐1981
Register of Latin rite Lviv metropolis clergy’s losses in 1939‐45”, Józef Krętosz, Maria Pawłowiczowa, editors, Opole, 2005
Biographical lexicon of Lviv Roman Catholic Metropoly clergy victims of the II World War 1939‐1945”, Mary Pawłowiczowa (ed.), Fr Joseph Krętosz (ed.), Holy Cross Publishing, Opole, 2007
Fate of the Catholic clergy in USSR 1917‐1939. Martyrology”, Roman Dzwonkowski, SAC, ed. Science Society KUL, 2003, Lublin
original images:
www.kchodorowski.republika.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.01.26]
, wolyn1943.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.12.04]
, www.stowarzyszenieuozun.wroclaw.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.01.16]
, wegliniec.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.10.31]
, ipn.gov.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2019.02.02]

LETTER to CUSTODIAN/ADMINISTRATOR

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MARTYROLOGY: KOTWICKI John

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