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
KWIT
forename(s)
Basil Steven (pl. Bazyli Stefan)
forename(s)
versions/aliases
Vasil Stephen (pl. Wasyl Szczepan)
function
eparchial priest
creed
Ukrainian Greek Catholic GCmore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2013.05.19]
diocese / province
Lviv GC archeparchymore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2013.05.19]
nationality
Ukrainian
date and place
of death
11.1943
Urlivtoday: Zboriv urban hrom., Ternopil rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
uk.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.03.02]
details of death
In 1914, as a result of the Russian offensive at the beginning of World War I, Lviv and most of Eastern Galicia, i.e. part of the Crown Land and the province of the Germ. Königreich Galizien und Lodomerien (Eng. Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria), belonging to the Austro–Hungarian Monarchy, came under Russian occupation. When the Russians were defeated in the Battle of Gorlice in 05.1915, began to retreat eastward. Deported then by the Russians to Kiev. Held in a villa converted into a prison, known as Rus. „Польский арестный домъ” (Eng. „Polish house arrest”). After several weeks/months, released, but without the possibility of return.
Returned to his diocese after the separatist Treaty of Brest‐Litovsk of 03.03.1918, signed by the Central Powers (i.e. the German Empire and the Austro–Hungarian Monarchy) with Bolshevik Russia, de facto ending the military operations of World War I on the Eastern Front and establishing a Ukrainian state with its capital in Kiev, controlled by Germany.
From 1929, was the parish priest of Urliv, c. 8 km west of Zboriv and c. 40 km west of Ternopil. In 1939, the village had an estimated population of c. 650 people, of whom c. 89% were Ukrainians/Greek Catholics, c. 9% Poles/Roman Catholics (therefore there were c. 60 of them), and a few Jews. Was there on 01.09.1939, when the Germans attacked Poland — the Russians invaded Poland 17 days later — and World War II began. Was there during the Russian occupation of 1939‐1941. Was also there on 22.06.1941, when the Germans attacked their erstwhile ally, the Russians, and when the German occupation began. His parish village found itself in the Germ. Landkreis Tarnopol (Eng. Ternopil County) within the Germ. Distrikt Galizien (Eng. District of Galicia), within the German–occupied and administered quasi‐state called the Germ. Generalgouvernement (Eng. General Governorate), i.e. GG.
In 1942/1943, Jews from Urliv were deported and practically confined in the ghetto in Zboriv. There were few of them, so their departure probably went unnoticed. But information about the fate of nearby Zboriv must have reached the inhabitants of Urliv. Already on 07.07.1941, three days after the Germans arrival, Germ. Einsatzgruppen (Eng. Operational Groups) — a unit of the Germ. Sicherheitspolizei (Eng. Security Police), i.e. SiPo, and Germ. Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers SS (Eng. Security Service of the Reichsführer SS), i.e. SD, organized by Germ. Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Eng. Reich Main Security Office), i.e. RSHA — following the front line units of the Germ. Wehrmacht (Eng. Armed Forces), with the cooperation of „local Ukrainians” — prob. a hastily formed unit of the Ukr. Українська народна міліція (Eng. Ukrainian People's Militia) — murdered in Zboriv c. 600‐830 Jews, mainly men. The next execution took place on 16.10.1941. In the spring of 1942, a forced labor camp was established for c. 400 Jews, and on 29/30.08.1942, 220‐1,300 Jews were sent to the Germ. Vernichtungslager (Eng. extermination camp) VL Belzec. Only at the end of 11.1942 was the ghetto enclosed by a fence — behind the barbed wire were still c. 3,000 Jews. On 09.04.1943 most of them, c. 2,300, were murdered on the spot in Zboriv by the SiPo unit from Ternopil, supported by the collaborationist Germ. Ukrainische Hilfspolizei (Eng. Ukrainian Auxiliary Police), in some regions also referred to as the Germ. Schutzmannschaft (Eng. Protection Battalions), i.e. Schuma. The rest were murdered by 23.07.1943. The ghetto ceased to exist. The Jews became victims of the German genocidal plan, the Germ. «Endlösung der Judenfrage» (Eng. Final Solution of the Jewish Question), which was implemented in the GG under the codename Germ. «Aktion Reinhardt» (Eng. Operation Reinhardt).
The murder of the Jews did not change the population situation of the village.
In 1943, it even had a slightly larger population, 677 inhabitants.
And it was then, in 02.1943 Roman Shukhevych, nom de guerre „Taras Chuprynka”, the chief commander of the Ukrainian, genocidal OUN/UPA organisation, who in 1941 was a member of the Ukrainian Germ. Sondergruppe Nachtigall (Eng. Special Group Nightingale) — a unit of the Germ. Wehrmacht (Emg/ Armed Forces) that took part in the German attack on Russians in 1941, accused of participating in the Jewish pogrom in Lviv in 1941 — and later a member of the Germ. Schutzmannschaftsbataillon 201 (Eng. 201st Protection team Battalion) — responsible for the murder of Jews and civilians in the territory of Belarus — issued an order: „The extermination operation should be carried out according to the following principles: Polish villages are to be burned, and their populations massacred. Attacks on towns will take place in broad daylight, not at night. In mixed villages, the Polish population alone should be liquidated, and farmsteads should be burned only if they are 15 meters away and when there is no risk of the fire spreading to neighboring Ukrainian buildings. The Ukrainian population will receive instructions as to where to gather during the attack […] For every Ukrainian murdered, whether by Poles or Germans, 100 (one hundred) Poles will be executed”.
It was the de facto signal for the commencement of the «Genocidium Atrox» — i.e. the genocide perpetrated by Ukrainians, known as „Volyn genocide”.
Immediately thereafter, in 03.1943, the UPA issued an appeal to members of the Germ. Ukrainische Hilfspolizei / Schuma, to desert and join the UPA. Perhaps as many as 10,000 Ukrainians did so.
The «Genocidium Atrox» began in Volyn. In 1943, Volyn was not in the GG, but belonged to the Germ. Reichskommissariat Ukraine (Eng. Reich Commissariat Ukraine), an occupational body established by the Germans after the German attack on 22.06.1941 on the Russians. The choice of Volyn for the beginning of the «Genocidium Atrox» and the genocide of Poles by the OUN/UPA was not accidental. Firstly, Volyn in pre‐war Poland had prob. the smallest percentage of Polish population in the entire country. Secondly, it was probably the least economically developed voivodeship of Poland, which was caused by the deliberate policy of the Russians in the 19th century, ruling then in part of partitioned Poland — the direct route to the heart of Russia, to Moscow, runs through Volyn, so no roads were laid there, no bridges built, no marshy areas around the Pripyat drained, no industry located, and no schools established. Thirdly, and finally, it was Volyn (and the Chełm region) that was to be incorporated into the borders of the short‐lived Ukrainian state, to be established on the basis of the Treaty of Brest‐Litovsk of 09.02.1918 during World War I, agreed by the Central Powers (German Empire, Austro–Hungarian Monarchy) — in 1943 the Germans simply fulfilled the obligations undertaken at that time.
Ukrainian génocidaires murdered tens of thousands of Poles and burned hundreds of villages in Volyn in 1943 as part of the «Genocidium Atrox» program.
When it became clear at the turn of 1943/1944 that Germany was losing the war in the East — on 24.12.1943, a major Russian offensive known as the Dnieper–Carpathian Operation began, which by 04.1944 reached a line c. 80 km east from Lviv — the OUN/UPA decided to extend the «Genocidium Atrox» extermination plan to the Germ. Distrikt Galizien. Until then, the groups operating there were mainly — so as not to „annoy” the Germans — units operating under the euphemistic Ukrainian name Ukr. Українська Народна Самооборона (Eng. Ukrainian National Self‐Defense), i.e. UNS, reinforced by deserters from the Germ. Ukrainische Hilfspolizei and Schuma, seasoned in the genocide of Jews. They were commanded by Alexander Lutsky, nom de guerre „Andrenko”, who in 1941 was one of the founders of in the Ukrainian Germ. Sondergruppe Nachtigall, and later a member of the Germ. Schutzmannschaftsbataillon 201. His path to the UNS and the genocidal OUN/UPA was therefore the same as that of OUN/UPA main commander, the aforementioned Roman Shukhevych.
UNS units were not only engaged in the „self‐defense” of Ukrainian villages — they also carried out attacks on Poles and Polish villages. Thus it was prob. a UNS group that attacked Poles in Urliv in 11.1943.
Under unknown circumstances, the attackers murdered five Poles.
Was also murdered under unknown circumstances, despite being a Ukrainian parish priest of a Greek Catholic parish.
The Polish „Borderlands Book of the Righteous” states that „was publically condemning the crimes in Volyn and called for reconciliation”. And that’s prob. why was murdered.
At the turn of 1943/1944, the UNS was officially incorporated into the ranks of the genocidal Ukrainian organization OUN/UPA.
On 12.10.2007, the génocidaire Roman Shukhevych was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. In several locations, monuments and commemorative plaques have been erected to these Lat. „hostis humani generis” — e.g. in Bodnariv a monument to the génocidaire Alexander Lutsky was erected — the streets and schools were named after them.
Lat. „O Tempora! O mores!”
cause of death
mass murder
perpetrators
Ukrainians
sites and events
«Genocidium Atrox»Click to display the description, GeneralgouvernementClick to display the description, Ribbentrop‐MolotovClick to display the description, Pius XI's encyclicalsClick to display the description
date and place
of birth
.1894
presbyter (holy orders)
ordination
1925
positions held
1929 – 1943
parish priest — Urlivtoday: Zboriv urban hrom., Ternopil rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
uk.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.03.02] ⋄ St Michael the Archangel GC parish ⋄ Zborivtoday: Zboriv urban hrom., Ternopil rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.11.27] GC deanery
1925 – c. 1929
administrator — Kabarivtsitoday: Zboriv urban hrom., Ternopil rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
uk.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.08.19] ⋄ St Paraskeva GC parish ⋄ Zborivtoday: Zboriv urban hrom., Ternopil rai., Ternopil obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.11.27] GC deanery
c. 1922 – c. 1925
student — Lvivtoday: Lviv urban hrom., Lviv rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.16] ⋄ philosophy and theology, Greek Catholic Theological Seminary
till 1915
student — Lvivtoday: Lviv urban hrom., Lviv rai., Lviv obl., Ukraine
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.16] ⋄ philosophy and theology, Greek Catholic Theological Seminary
married
comments
Sources do not state the name of the murdered priest.
In 1938 however Fr Kwit was local parish priest and thus the assumption made in the „White Book”.
others related
in death
CHAMCZUKClick to display biography Gregory, CZUBATYClick to display biography Theodore, KWIATKOWSKIClick to display biography Stanislav Ignatius, SOPUCHClick to display biography Stanislav, SZCZEPANIUKClick to display biography Nicholas
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])
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:
wolyn.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2021.02.12], zbrodniawolynska.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2020.01.26]
bibliographical:
„Lviv Archeparchy Register (Ukr. Львівський Шематизми)Click to display source page”, Lviv Metropolitan Consistory, e.g. 1938
„Genocidium Atrox”, GTKRK, https://www.swzygmunt.knc.pl/GENOCIDEs/15 GENOCIDUM ATROX/vPOLISH/MAINs/GENATROXsearch01.htm
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