At the end of World War I, on 16.10.1918, the Emperor of Austria, Charles I, issued a manifesto Germ. Völkermanifest — „To My Faithful Austrian Subjects” — announcing the transformation of Austria–Hungary into a federal state. Not only did it not prevent the disintegration of the Empire, but it actually accelerated it. The issue of the imperial province and crown land, Germ. Königreich Galizien und Lodomerien (Eng. Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria), became a burning one, which turned into an open Polish–Ukrainian conflict. The first to attack were the Ukrainians — slightly outnumbering people of Polish nationality, especially in the villages, while in the cities the Poles significantly outnumbered them — who already on 01.11.1918 announced the establishment of the West Ukrainian People's Republic ZUNR and at the same time attacked the capital of Eastern Galicia, Lviv. The Polish–Ukrainian war 1918‐1919 began.

The Ukrainians failed to capture Lviv and a siege of the city began, which lasted until 22.05.1919. Although on 22.11.1918 the Ukrainians were pushed out of the city itself, they continued to besiege it from three sides — only from the west was there a corridor through which Poland provided aid to the residents of Lviv and its defenders.

The branch village of Pustomyty, where ministered as a vicar–exposit, c. 17 km southwest of the center of Lviv, was occupied by the Ukrainians besieging Lviv.

Was thrown out of it — together with his old, 77‐year‐old father — and forced to move c. 8 km south, to the parish of Shchyrets, where took refuge in the rectory.

On 14.05.1919, the Polish offensive began on the entire Polish–Ukrainian front, under the command of General Joseph Haller.

Then, in the last days of Ukrainian control over Shchyrets, kidnapped by the Ukrainians.

Driven to the village of Demnya, c. 13 km to the southeast.

There, at the local cemetery, his cassock was ripped off, his shoes were taken off and was murdered with two shots to the head — similarly, his father had his clothes ripped off, his face beaten with a shotgun butt and was killed with a shot to the heart.

The offensive was successful. In the words of his commander, „under the powerful blow [of the soldiers'] chests, the entire enemy line was broken and the enemy ring surrounding Lviv disintegrated”. The fighting front moved c. 150 km to the east and south, to a line defined by the Zbruch and Dniester rivers.