Blessed Anicet Koplinski
Blessed Anicet Koplinski (born March 30, 1875 AD in Buk, Poland; died October 16, 1941 AD in Auschwitz, Poland) was a Polish Capuchin Franciscan priest martyred at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during the Nazi occupation of Poland. He was among the 108 Polish Martyrs of World War II beatified by Pope John Paul II in Warsaw on June 13, 1999. His feast day is June 12.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Anicet Koplinski
| Blessed Anicet Koplinski | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 12 |
| Profession | Capuchin Franciscan priest; martyr of Nazi German occupation; Polish Catholic priest; prisoner of Auschwitz |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Capuchin Franciscan Order; Polish Catholic Church; 108 Polish Martyrs of WWII; Greater Poland (Poznań) Catholic tradition |
| Patronage | Poland; Capuchin Franciscans; priests imprisoned for their faith; the Poznań region; victims of Auschwitz; those who die under totalitarian persecution |
| Attributes | Capuchin habit (brown with pointed hood); palm frond of martyrdom; a cross; rosary; the Auschwitz camp (place of martyrdom) |
| Birthplace | Buk, Greater Poland, Poland |
| Death Place | Auschwitz (Oświęcim), Poland |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; killed October 16, 1941, at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in occupied Poland; he was arrested by the German Gestapo following the Nazi invasion of Poland in September 1939; he was imprisoned in Auschwitz in the early period of the camp's operation as a camp primarily for Polish political prisoners (the mass murder of Jews in the gas chambers began in 1942; in 1941 the camp was primarily focused on Polish prisoners); he died there at age 66 for his priesthood and Catholic faith; he was among the 108 Polish Martyrs of World War II beatified by Pope John Paul II in Warsaw on June 13, 1999; his feast on October 16 (his death date) coincides with the feast of Blessed Pope John Paul II (born October 18, 1920; elected Pope October 16, 1978 — the anniversary of his papal election) |
| Primary Shrine | Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, Oświęcim, Poland — site of martyrdom; June 12 feast; 108 Polish Martyrs |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; June 12 feast for the 108 Polish Martyrs |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Anicet Koplinski was born March 30, 1875, in Buk in the Poznań (Greater Poland) region of Poland — then under German Prussian rule. He entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order and was ordained a priest. He served in the Capuchin province in the Poznań area through the partition era, Polish independence (1918), and the interwar period.
When the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939, the Warthegau (Poznań region) was immediately annexed to the German Reich and subjected to extreme anti-Catholic policies. He was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp.
He died there on October 16, 1941, at age 66 — in the same camp where Saint Maximilian Kolbe had died two months earlier.
He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Warsaw on June 13, 1999, as one of the 108 Polish Martyrs of World War II.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Buk, Greater Poland, Poland
Death location: Auschwitz (Oświęcim), Poland
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Feast day
June 12
Veneration
Blessed Anicet Koplinski (1875–1941) was a Polish Capuchin Franciscan priest from the Poznań region, martyred at Auschwitz-Birkenau on October 16, 1941 — the same date John Paul II would be elected Pope 37 years later. Beatified by John Paul II, Warsaw, 1999. Feast June 12.
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