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
KOWSZ
forename(s)
Alexander (pl. Aleksander)
function
presbiter (i.e. iereus)
creed
Eastern Orthodox Church ORmore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.09.21]
diocese / province
Vilnius‐Lithuanian OR eparchymore on
ru.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.09.24]
Vilnius‐Lida OR eparchy (Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church PAOC)more on
pl.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.04.02]
date and place
of death
1943
Minsktoday: Minsk city reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.07.31]
details of death
In 1915, during World War I, after the Russian defeat in the Battle of Gorlice in 05.1915, escaped with millions of Russians from the occupied territory of Poland deep into Russia (panic escape of c. 3 million Russians — the administrative and military apparatus of the Russian partition/occupation — went down in history under the name „bezhenstvo”) — first to Moscow, then to Ryazan, Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine and finally Maykop.
Returned to independent Poland in 11.1921, after the Russian defeat in the Polish–Russian war of 1919‐1921.
Became involved in Belarusian activities, in particular supported — although he was not a member of — the Belarusian Peasants and Workers „Hromada” organisation, a left–wing political group operating in Poland, striving — with money from communist Russia and in cooperation with the illegal Communist Party of Western Belarus — for self–determination for Belarusians in the Bolshevik sense, i.e. joining the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic, created by the communists in Russia.
As a result, on the night of 14‐15.01.1927, together with most of the leaders of the „Hromada” was arrested by the Polish authorities (officially, „Hromada” was dissolved on 23.03.1927).
Released in 03.1927, and in 1928 acquitted by the court.
In 1930, became involved with the movement of the Belarusian Orthodox Committee within the Orthodox Church, opposing the alleged Polonization of the Orthodox Church in Poland (including the actual introduction of the Polish language in schools), and as a result, was stripped of his posts in Vilnius.
Returned there after the German and Russian attack on Poland in 09.1939 and the start of World War II, prob. just after the beginning of the Lithuanian occupation of Vilnius in 10.1939, or after 06.1940, when Russia annexed Lithuania.
During the German attack on 22.06.1941 on the erstwhile ally, the Russians, prob. arrested for some time but soon released.
After the beginning of the German occupation, moved to the territories occupied till 1939 by the Russians, to Minsk, and then to Kraysk and Pleshchenitsy.
There ministered among the people deprived of spiritual support since the Russian communist revolution.
According to Russian and Belarusian sources, helped persecuted Jews by issuing false baptismal certificates, administering marriage sacraments, etc.
According to Fr Alexander Lubecki was to contribute to the arrest by the Germans of Fr Henry Hlebowicz, who came to Pleshchenitsy for the same purpose — to restore the pastoral ministry of the Catholic Church among the population deprived of it for about 20 years of communist rule.
Arrested by the Germans in 03.1943.
Prob. taken to Minsk, interrogated there and murdered in unknown circumstances.
cause of death
murder
perpetrators
Germans
sites and events
MinskClick to display the description, Ribbentrop‐MolotovClick to display the description, Polish‐Russian war of 1919‐1921Click to display the description
date and place
of birth
02.08.1884
Rydelitoday: Vertelishki ssov., Grodno dist., Grodno reg., Belarus
more on
be.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.04.10]
presbyter (holy orders)
ordination
1922 (Orthodox Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in Grodnomore on
be.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.04.10])
positions held
till 1943
administrator — Pleshchanitsytoday: Pleshchanitsy ssov., Lahoysk dist., Minsk reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.04.10] ⋄ St Peter and St Paul the Apostles OR church
1941
administrator — Kraisktoday: Kraisk ssov., Lahoysk dist., Minsk reg., Belarus
more on
be.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.04.10] ⋄ St Nicholas OR church
1939 – 1941
parish priest — Vilniustoday: Vilnius city dist., Vilnius Cou., Lithuania
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.06] ⋄ Translation of the relics of St Nicholas the Wonderworker OR church — also: senior accountant at the Lithuanian State Bank (1940‐1941), co–head of the Belarusian Red Cross
24.08.1937 – 1939
parish priest — Kastykitoday: Lyudvinovo ssov., Vileyka dist., Minsk reg., Belarus
more on
be.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.04.10] ⋄ St Sebastian and 40 Martyrs OR parish ⋄ Daŭhinavatoday: Daŭhinava ssov., Vileyka dist., Minsk reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.06] OR deanery
23.08.1931 – 1937
parish priest — Noritsatoday: Volki ssov., Pastavy dist., Vitebsk reg., Belarus
more on
be.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.04.10] ⋄ Intercession of the Mother of God OR parish ⋄ Myadzyel Staryitoday: Myadzyel, Myadzyel ssov., Myadzyel dist., Minsk reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.02.06] OR deanery
c. 05.08.1931
priest — Vilniustoday: Vilnius city dist., Vilnius Cou., Lithuania
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.06] ⋄ St Paraskeva Pyatnitsa OR church — sought to formally create a new parish
from 05.01.1931
priest — Vilniustoday: Vilnius city dist., Vilnius Cou., Lithuania
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.06] ⋄ Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary OR cathedral church (Theotokos)
from 21.11.1930
priest — Vilniustoday: Vilnius city dist., Vilnius Cou., Lithuania
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.06] ⋄ Our Lady of the Sign OR church („Znamenska”)
07.07.1930
suspension — Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church PACP
27.06.1930
retired (i.e. „at rest”) — Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church PACP
13.05.1930 – 27.06.1930
parish priest — Iodytoday: Iody ssov., Sharkawshchyna dist., Vitebsk reg., Belarus
more on
be.wikipedia.org
[access: 2024.03.15] ⋄ St Elijah the Prophet OR parish ⋄ Braslawtoday: Braslaw dist., Vitebsk reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.29] OR deanery
1926 – 23.07.1931
prefect — Vilniustoday: Vilnius city dist., Vilnius Cou., Lithuania
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.06] ⋄ Belarusian Gymnasium — in c. 1930, in connection with cooperation with the Belarusian Orthodox Committee, striving for the Belarusianization of the Orthodox Church and opposing the alleged Polonization of the Church, briefly deprived of the position of the prefect (restored thanks to the intervention of part of the Church itself)
25.11.1927 – c. 1930
parish priest — VilniusŠnipiškės district
today: Vilnius city dist., Vilnius Cou., Lithuania
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.04.10] ⋄ St Michael the Archangel OR parish — till 01.06.1928 priest
20.01.1927 – 25.11.1927
suspension — Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church PACP
1925 – 1927
parish priest — VilniusŠnipiškės district
today: Vilnius city dist., Vilnius Cou., Lithuania
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.04.10] ⋄ St Michael the Archangel OR parish — rebuilt the church; also: chief accountant of the Belarusian Cooperative Bank
1922 – 1925
parish priest — Dyatlovichitoday: Roś ssov., Vawkavysk dist., Grodno reg., Belarus
more on
be.wikipedia.org
[access: 2023.04.10] ⋄ St Nicholas OR parish
1922
presbiter (Eng. priest, i.e. iereus) — Russian Orthodox Church — priesthood cheirotonia, i.e. ordination (according to some sources in 1924)
from 01.12.1921
psalmist — Chernitoday: Cherni ssov., Brest dist., Brest reg., Belarus
more on
be.wikipedia.org
[access: 2024.03.15] ⋄ St John the Evangelist OR church
till 1915
accountant (Lat. Calculator) — Lublintoday: Lublin city pov., Lublin voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.08.20] ⋄ Bank of Poland
1904 – 1908
teacher — Damachavatoday: Damachava ssov., Brest dist., Brest reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.12.11]
till 1904
student — Svislachtoday: Svislach dist., Grodno reg., Belarus
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.29] ⋄ Teachers' Seminary
married — two children
author of articles in the magazine „Праваслаўная Беларусь” (Eng. „Orthodox Belarus”), editor (c. 1928, in three languages) of the magazine „Народная ніва” (Eng. „Narodowe Pole”), editor, publisher and author of articles (1928‐ 1929) in the magazine „Беларуская зарніца” (Eng. „Belarusian Dawn”), publisher of translations of foreign books
others related
in death
HLEBOWICZClick to display biography Henry, LUBECKIClick to display biography Alexander
sites and events
descriptions
Minsk: Russian prison. In 1937 site of mass murders perpetrated by the Russians during a „Great Purge”. After Russian invasion of Poland in 09.1939 and start of the World War II place of incarceration of many Poles, In 06.1941, under attack by Germans, Russians murdered there a group of Polish prisoner kept in Central and co‐called American prisons in Mińsk. The rest were driven towards Chervyen in a „death march” (10,000‐20,000 prisoners perished), into Russia. (more on: pl.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2013.08.17])
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])
Polish‐Russian war of 1919‐1921: War for independence of Poland and its borders. Poland regained independence in 1918 but had to fight for its borders with former imperial powers, in particular Russia. Russia planned to incite Bolshevik‐like revolutions in the Western Europe and thus invaded Poland. Russian invaders were defeated in 08.1920 in a battle called Warsaw battle („Vistula river miracle”, one of the 10 most important battles in history, according to some historians). Thanks to this victory Poland recaptured part of the lands lost during partitions of Poland in XVIII century, and Europe was saved from the genocidal Communism. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2014.12.20])
sources
personal:
ru.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.04.10], ex-press.liveClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.04.10]
bibliographical:
„Hierachy, clergy and employees of the Orthodox Church in the 19th‐21st centuries within the borders of the Second Polish Republic and post–war Poland”, Fr Gregory Sosna, M. Antonine Troc-Sosna, Warsaw–Bielsk Podlaski 2017
original images:
ex-press.liveClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.04.10]
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