Roman Catholic
St Sigismund parish
05-507 Słomczyn
85 Wiślana Str.
Konstancin deanery
Warsaw archdiocese, Poland
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Martyrology of the clergy — Poland
XX century (1914 – 1989)
personal data
surname
SZEWCZYK
forename(s)
John (pl. Jan)
function
diocesan priest
creed
Latin (Roman Catholic) Church RCmore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.09.21]
diocese / province
Lviv archdiocesemore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2013.05.19]
date and place
of death
28.06.1941
Zolochivtoday: Zolochiv urban hrom., Zolochiv rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.19]
alt. dates and places
of death
26.08.1941, 02.07.1941, 03.07.1941,
details of death
After the German and Russian invasion of Poland in 09.1939 and the start of World War II, after the start of the Russian occupation, in times of the persecution of Poles and the Catholic Church by the Russians — hundreds of thousands of Poles were deported into Russia — did not reside in Rykiv, where the church was located, but with parishioners near the village of Zarvanytsya, on the Ternopil–Zlochiv, and commuted to the church to celebrate services.
So it was on 28.06.1941, during the panic retreat of the Russians from the 22.06.1941 attack of their recent ally, the Germans, when went to Rykiv to celebrate the Holy Mass. On the way back, stopped and captured by the Russians, on the basis of a denunciation by local Ukrainian chauvinists — on charges of spying for Germany.
Taken to prison in Zlochiv castle and there prob. on the same day massacred in genocidal murder of c. 650‐720 inmates of Zlochiv prison, mostly Poles (among them c. 25% women).
alt. details of death
Often quoted version that murder — „together with 5 other Poles” took place on 02‐03.07.1941, is unlikely, for the Germans entered Zolochiv on 01.07.1941 and on next day the massacre of local Jews, accused of collaboration with Russians, including during prison massacre, started and lasted c. 3 days, perpetrated by Ukrainians and Germans.
cause of death
mass murder
perpetrators
Russians
sites and events
06.1941 massacres (NKVD)Click to display the description, Ribbentrop‐MolotovClick to display the description, Pius XI's encyclicalsClick to display the description
date and place
of birth
1908
n. Bochniatoday: Bochnia urban gm., Bochnia pov., Lesser Poland voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.04.01]
presbyter (holy orders)
ordination
28.06.1936 (Lvivtoday: Lviv urban hrom., Lviv rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.16])
positions held
1940 – 1941
curatus/rector/expositus — Rykivtoday: Polyany, Pomoryany hrom., Zolochiv rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
uk.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.08.05] ⋄ Holy Trinity RC church ⋄ Zolochivtoday: Zolochiv urban hrom., Zolochiv rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.19], Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary RC parish ⋄ Zolochivtoday: Zolochiv urban hrom., Zolochiv rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.12.19] RC deanery
1939 – 1940
curatus/rector/expositus — Kotivtoday: Saranchuky hrom., Ternopil rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.03.02] ⋄ Our Lady of the Snow RC church ⋄ Berezhanytoday: Berezhany urban hrom., Ternopil rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.11.15], Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary RC parish ⋄ Berezhanytoday: Berezhany urban hrom., Ternopil rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.11.15] RC deanery — prob.
1936 – 1939
prefect — Tartakivtoday: Sokal urban hrom., Chervonohrad rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
uk.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.03.02] ⋄ school(s) in the parish ⋄ St Michael the Archangel RC parish ⋄ Belztoday: Belz urban hrom., Chervonohrad rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.11.15] RC deanery
1931 – 1936
student — Lvivtoday: Lviv urban hrom., Lviv rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.16] ⋄ philosophy and theology, Metropolitan Theological Seminary
sites and events
descriptions
06.1941 massacres (NKVD): After German attack of Russian‐occupied Polish territory and following that of Russia itself, before a panic escape, Russians murdered — in accordance with the genocidal order issued on 24.06.1941 by the Russian interior minister Lawrence Beria to murder all prisoners (formally „sentenced” for „counter‐revolutionary activities”, „anti‐Russian acts”, sabotage and diversion, and political prisoners „in custody”), held in NKVD‐run prisons in Russian occupied Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia — c. 40,000‐50,000 prisoners. In addition Russians murdered many thousands of victims arrested after German attack regarding them as „enemies of people” — those victims were not even entered into prisons’ registers. Most of them were murdered in massacres in the prisons themselves, the others during so‐called „death marches” when the prisoners were driven out east. After Russians departure and start of German occupation a number of spontaneous pogroms of Jews took place. Many Jews collaborated with Russians and were regarded as co‐responsible for prison massacres. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2021.12.19])
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])
sources
personal:
cracovia-leopolis.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.01.06], mnib.malorus.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.01.06]
bibliographical:
„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
„Schematismus Universi Saecularis et Regularis Cleri Archi Diaeceseos Metropol. Leopol. Rit. Lat.”, Lviv Metropolitan Curia, from 1860 till 1938
„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
original images:
www.kchodorowski.republika.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.05.19], ipn.gov.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2019.02.02]
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