Blessed Antoni Swiadek
Blessed Antoni Świadek (born March 15, 1909 AD in Bieruń Stary, Silesia, Poland; died April 22, 1945 AD in Dachau, Germany) was a Polish diocesan priest martyred at the Dachau concentration camp in the final weeks of World War II. 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 Antoni Swiadek
| Blessed Antoni Swiadek | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 12 |
| Profession | Polish diocesan priest; martyr of Dachau concentration camp; Upper Silesian Polish Catholic priest; prisoner of the Priest Barracks of Dachau |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Diocese of Katowice (Upper Silesia); Polish Catholic Church; 108 Polish Martyrs of WWII; Dachau Priest Barracks tradition |
| Patronage | Poland; Upper Silesia; Dachau martyrs; priests imprisoned for their faith; those who die just before liberation; the Diocese of Katowice; Silesian Polish Catholics |
| Attributes | Polish priestly vestments; palm frond of martyrdom; a cross; barbed wire (concentration camp); Dachau camp (place of martyrdom); rosary |
| Birthplace | Bieruń Stary, Silesia, Poland |
| Death Place | Dachau, Bavaria, Germany |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; died April 22, 1945, at the Dachau concentration camp in Bavaria, Germany; he was 36 years old; Dachau was liberated by American forces just six days later, on April 29, 1945; Antoni Świadek is one of the many Polish priests who died in Dachau just before its liberation; the Dachau concentration camp held the largest concentration of Catholic priests of any Nazi camp — approximately 2,720 priests from 20 countries were imprisoned there, of whom 1,034 died; of these, 868 were Polish; many of the 108 Polish Martyrs beatified in 1999 died at Dachau; Antoni Świadek's death just days before liberation is one of the most poignant martyrdoms in the group |
| Primary Shrine | Dachau Memorial Site, Bavaria, Germany — Carmelite Convent of the Precious Blood; June 12 feast; Polish martyr veneration |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; June 12 feast for the 108 Polish Martyrs |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Antoni Świadek was born March 15, 1909, in Bieruń Stary in Upper Silesia, when the region was part of the German Empire. He became a Polish Catholic priest, serving in the Diocese of Katowice in the Silesian region.
When the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939, he was among the priests arrested and eventually imprisoned in the Dachau concentration camp. Dachau held the largest number of Catholic priests of any Nazi camp — approximately 2,720 priests from 20 countries, of whom 868 were Polish.
He died at Dachau on April 22, 1945, six days before American forces liberated the camp on April 29, 1945. He was 36 years old.
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: Bieruń Stary, Silesia, Poland
Death location: Dachau, Bavaria, Germany
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Feast day
June 12
Veneration
Blessed Antoni Świadek (1909–1945) was a Polish Silesian priest who died at Dachau concentration camp on April 22, 1945 — six days before its liberation by American forces. One of the 108 Polish Martyrs of WWII. Beatified John Paul II, Warsaw, 1999. Feast June 12.
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