• 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
LINK to Nu HTML Checker

full list:

displayClick to display full list

wyświetlKliknij by wyświetlić pełną listę po polsku


Martyrology of the clergy — Poland

XX century (1914 – 1989)

personal data

review in:

po polskuKliknij by wyświetlić to bio po polsku

link do KARTY OSOBOWEJ - POLSKA WERSJAKliknij by wyświetlić to bio po polsku

surname

SONGAJŁO

forename(s)

Constantine (pl. Konstanty)

function

diocesan priest

creed

Byzantine–Slavic Catholic Church BSmore on
pl.wikipedia.org
[access: 2013.01.13]

diocese / province

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

Warsaw archdiocesemore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2013.05.19]

Mogilev archdiocesemore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2013.06.23]

RC Military Ordinariate of Polandmore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.12.20]

date and place
of death

02.1940

DEATH symbol

n. Siemiatyczetoday: Siemiatycze pov., Podlaskie voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.06]

alt. dates and places
of death

1940

details of death

On 31.07.1918, while ministering in Arkhangelsk, an anti‐Bolshevik uprising broke out in the city. Poles living there contributed significantly to the city's capture. The uprising was inspired by the Allied, i.e. British and French, Expeditionary Forces in Northern Russia, commanded by British General Frederick Poole, present in Murmansk, in the north of the Kola Peninsula, since mid‐1918. At the same time, in the Kola settlement near Murmansk, at the appeal of General Joseph Haller, Polish Units were being formed, consisting of soldiers from Polish corps fighting alongside the Army of the Russian Empire, most of which had been defeated by the troops of the Central Powers, i.e. the German Empire and the Austro–Hungarian Monarchy, who had managed to break through the Bolshevik lines.

On 18.10.1918, the Polish Units subordinate to the Expeditionary Force, under the command of Major Julian Skokowski, were transferred to Arkhangelsk. Became then their — from 11.1918, de facto units of the Polish Army of the reborn Polish Republic — „provisional” chaplain.

Among other things, a Polish officer training school was established in Arkhangelsk. The Polish Units took part in the intervention of the Expeditionary Force, from 11.11.1918, i.e. from the end of World War I, de facto allied forces, mainly British and American, against the Bolshevik forces in northern Russia. Then — for unknown reasons — entered into a „dispute” with the command of the Units, so serious that was actually „arrested”. It seems that parishioners from Arkhangelsk came to his defense, and their protest even reached the Presidium of the Council of Ministers of the Polish government — registered on 01.08.1919, and considered on 18.11.1919. It is unclear what the outcome was.

The Polish troops, based on the decision of the Allied powers to withdraw the Expeditionary Force from northern Russia, were evacuated on 20.09.1919, first to Edinburgh, Scotland, and on 12.12.1919, to Poland, where became part of the newly formed 64th Grudziądz Infantry Regiment as its 3rd Battalion.

It is unclear whether returned to Poland with these troops, or perhaps this happened later. It is known that around 1923/1924 was already serving in the Archdiocese of Warsaw.

In 1939, ministered in the small settlement of Kośna, in Bielsk Podlaski County, Białystok Voivodeship. The settlement had a Catholic parish church of the Byzantine—Slavic rite. In Bielsk County, c. 45% of the population were Roman Catholic Poles and the same percentage, i.e. c. 45% were Orthodox, and c. 9% were Jews; while in the Kleszczele commune, to which Kośna belonged, Orthodox Christians constituted c. 70%. Some Catholics living there were of the Byzantine‐Slavic rite, and ministered to them.

After the German invasion of the Poland on 01.09.1939 (the Russians attacked Poland 17 days later) and the start of World War II, the Germans entered his settlement on c. 11.09.1939. However, soon, to the surprise of the inhabitants, starting from 21.09.1939 they began to withdraw. It was not known at the time that the fate of the Białystok voivodeship had already been decided on 23.08.1939, when the Germans and Russians concluded a genocidal agreement known as the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, later confirmed by the so‐called „The Treaty on the Frontiers and Friendship between Germany and Russia” of 28.09.1939, also known as the 2nd Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Under its terms, the Białystok region was to fall to the Russians — when the spoils were divided. The Bug River became the border between the occupiers in this region. The transfer of power did not take place everywhere as in Białystok — as described in sources — i.e. „with pomp. In front of the Branicki Palace, a ceremony took place of lowering the swastika flag and raising in its place the banner with the hammer and sickle. The songs "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles" and "Soyuz nerushymyi" were played. Salute, handshake, satisfaction with the task accomplished. Then the delegations went to a lavish dinner at the Ritz Hotel”. In Kośna, the Russian occupation began on c. 28‐29.09.1939.

Arrests began among the intelligentsia, teachers, doctors, landowners, government officials, foresters, policemen, and even the families of Polish servicemen. In 1940‐1941, many other Poles fell victim to four large waves of deportations „to Siberia”. Accounts often mention that „they came at night, without warning, and took away entire families, from infants to the elderly”. „When we went out into the yard, they let my mother look into the chest — unfortunately, it was empty, because our neighbors had already emptied it. We took practically nothing with us, because they didn't let us move around the house […] There were heavy snowdrifts and a heavy frost”. In addition, 150,000–200,000 men were conscripted into the Russian army, and c. 100,000 were forced to work for Russian industry, mainly in the mines of the Donets Basin, in heavy industry plants in the Urals and in Siberia. Then the surveillance of priests and monks began. High taxes were imposed on the clergy.

In his parish, the stance of some of his Orthodox neighbors deepened the tragedy. As some sources state, „after September 17, 1939, one could often see peasants here greeting the Red Guards […] with a red banner”.

It seems that was forced to leave the parish. It is known that his parish ceased to exist in the first quarter of 1940 — from 03.1940, local parish registers were filled in by the Orthodox clergy, who took over the church, turning it into an Orthodox one.

Attempted to cross the Bug River border between the occupying forces, from the Rus. Белостокская область (Eng. Białystok Oblast) in the Russian—occupied area, into the German‐occupied and run quasi‐state called the Germ. Generalgouvernement (Eng. General Governorate), i.e. GG.

According to sources, while attempting to cross the Bug River near Siemiatycze, perhaps near the railway bridge on the Siedlce–Volkovysk route, stabbed to death by an „unknown Ukrainian nationalist”.

According to other sources, murdered by the Germ. Geheime Staatspolizei (Eng. Secret State Police), i.e., Gestapo, as a result of a „Ukrainian denunciation”.

cause of death

murder

perpetrators

Germans / Ukrainians

sites and events

«Genocidium Atrox»Click to display the description, GeneralgouvernementClick to display the description, Ribbentrop‐MolotovClick to display the description

date and place
of birth

1875

BIRTH symbol

alt. dates and places
of birth

1896

Stryitoday: Stryi urban hrom., Stryi rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.12.03]

presbyter (holy orders)
ordination

1905

ORDINATION symbol

Sankt Petersburgtoday: Saint Petersburg city, Russia
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.07.31]

positions held

1935 – 1940

parish priest — Kośnatoday: Kleszczele gm., Hajnówka pov., Podlaskie voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
⋄ St Nicholas the Wonderworker and St Euphemia BS parish ⋄ Bielsk Podlaskitoday: Bielsk Podlaski gm., Bielsk Podlaski pov., Podlaskie voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.29]
BS deanery

c. 1933 – 1935

administrator — Stowbtsytoday: Stowbtsy dist., Minsk reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.12.25]
⋄ BS parish ⋄ Stowbtsytoday: Stowbtsy dist., Minsk reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.12.25]
BS deanery

1930 – 1933

lecturer — Lublintoday: Lublin city pov., Lublin voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.08.20]
⋄ eastern liturgy, Department of Theology, Catholic University of Lublin KUL [i.e. Catholic University of Lublin KUL (since 1928) / clandestine Catholic University of Lublin KUL (1939‐1944) / University of Lublin (1918‐1928)]

till 1933

professor — Lublintoday: Lublin city pov., Lublin voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.08.20]
⋄ Mission Institute — lecturer of Russian language and Eastern liturgy

1927 – 1929

curatus/rector/expositus — Tarakantoday: part of Imienin village, Imenin ssov., Drahichyn dist., Brest reg., Belarus
more on
be.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
⋄ Holy Trinity and St Josaphat the Bishop and Martyr RC church ⋄ Drahichyntoday: Drahichyn dist., Brest reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.07.16]
, Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Polish Crown RC parish ⋄ Kobryntoday: Kobryn dist., Brest reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
RC deanery

c. 1924 – c. 1927

prefect — Nowy Dwór Mazowieckitoday: Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki urban gm., Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki pov., Masovia voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.18]
⋄ Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Michael the Archangel, St Stanislav the Bishop and Martyr and St Apollonia the Virgin and Martyr RC parish ⋄ Warsaw‐Praskideanery name
today: Warsaw city pov., Masovia voiv., Poland
RC deanery

1918 – 1919

RC auxiliary military chaplain — Arkhangelsktoday: Primorsky reg., Arkhangelsk oblast, Russia
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.08.05]
⋄ Polish Unit (at North Russia Expeditionary Force), Polish Armed Forces — described as „provisional

1909 – c. 1917

administrator — Arkhangelsktoday: Primorsky reg., Arkhangelsk oblast, Russia
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.08.05]
⋄ St Peter and St Paul the Apostles RC parish — also: prefect of secondary schools for boys and girls

others related
in death

HAŁASClick to display biography Nicholas, HOROSIEWICZClick to display biography Seraphim

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]
)

Generalgouvernement: After the Polish defeat in the 09.1939 campaign, which was the result of the Ribbentrop‐Molotov Pact and constituted the first stage of World War II, and the beginning of German occupation in part of Poland (in the other, eastern part of Poland, the Russian occupation began), the Germans divided the occupied Polish territory into five main regions. In two of them new German provinces were created, two other were incorporated into other provinces. However, the fifth part was treated separately, and in a political sense it was supposed to recreate the German idea from 1915 (during World War I, after the defeat of the Russians in the Battle of Gorlice in 05.1915) of creating a Polish enclave within Germany. Illegal in the sense of international law, i.e. Hague Convention, and public law, managed by the Germans according to separate laws — especially established for the Polish Germ. Untermenschen (Eng. subhumans) — till the Russian offensive in 1945 it constituted part of the Germ. Großdeutschland (Eng. Greater Germany). Till 31.07.1940 formally called Germ. Generalgouvernement für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete (Eng. General Government for the occupied Polish lands) — later simply Germ. Generalgouvernement (Eng. General Governorate), as in the years 1915‐1918. From 07.1941, i.e. after the German attack on 22.06.1941 against the erstwhile ally, the Russians, it also included the Galicia district, i.e. the Polish pre‐war south‐eastern voivodeships. A special criminal law was enacted and applied to Poles and Jews, allowing for the arbitrary administration of the death penalty regardless of the age of the „perpetrator”, and sanctioning the use of collective responsibility. After the end of the military conflict of the World War UU, the government of the Germ. Generalgouvernement was recognized as a criminal organization, and its leader, governor Hans Frank, guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity and executed. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2024.12.13]
)

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]
)

sources

personal:
www.kresykedzierzynkozle.home.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.01.13]

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
Mysterium iniquitatis. Clergy and religious of the Latin rite murdered by Ukrainian nationalists in 1939‐1945”, Fr Józef Marecki, Institute of National Remembrance IPN, Kraków 2020
Genocidium Atrox”, GTKRK, https://www.swzygmunt.knc.pl/GENOCIDEs/15 GENOCIDUM ATROX/vPOLISH/MAINs/GENATROXsearch01.htm

LETTER to CUSTODIAN/ADMINISTRATOR

If you have an Email client on your communicator/computer — such as Mozilla Thunderbird, Windows Mail or Microsoft Outlook, described at WikipediaPatrz:
en.wikipedia.org
, among others  — try the link below, please:

LETTER to CUSTODIAN/ADMINISTRATORClick and try to call your own Email client

If however you do not run such a client or the above link is not active please send an email to the Custodian/Administrator using your account — in your customary email/correspondence engine — at the following address:

EMAIL ADDRESS

giving the following as the subject:

MARTYROLOGY: SONGAJŁO Constantine

To return to the biography press below:

Click to return to biographyClick to return to biography