Blessed Boleslas Strzelecki
Blessed Boleslas Strzelecki (born February 6, 1896 AD in Zadzim, Poland; died August 25, 1941 AD in Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland) was a Polish Conventual Franciscan priest who was arrested by the Nazi German occupiers of Poland, imprisoned at Auschwitz, and killed there as a martyr of the Nazi regime. He is one of the 108 Polish Martyrs of World War II — the large group of Polish Catholics martyred by the Nazis and Soviet Communists, beatified collectively by Pope John Paul II in Warsaw on June 13, 1999. His feast day is June 12 (as part of the 108 Polish Martyrs) or August 25 individually.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Boleslas Strzelecki
| Blessed Boleslas Strzelecki | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | August 25 |
| Profession | Conventual Franciscan priest; martyr of the Nazi occupation; prisoner at Auschwitz; Polish Catholic martyr of World War II |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv.); Polish Catholic Church; 20th-century Polish martyrs; 108 Polish Martyrs of World War II |
| Patronage | Poland; Polish priests; Auschwitz victims; those imprisoned for their faith; martyrs of the 20th century |
| Attributes | Conventual Franciscan habit (gray/black); cross; barbed wire (Auschwitz imprisonment); palm of martyrdom; Polish national colors; the Auschwitz camp in background |
| Birthplace | Zadzim, Łęczyca County (now Poddębice County), Łódź Voivodeship, Poland |
| Death Place | Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Oświęcim, Poland |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; killed at Auschwitz Concentration Camp on August 25, 1941; he was 45 years old; he was a Conventual Franciscan priest arrested by the Nazi German occupiers of Poland; he was imprisoned at Auschwitz (KL Auschwitz I, the main camp) and killed there; the exact circumstances of his death are consistent with the systematic killing of Catholic clergy at Auschwitz; he was one of the 108 Polish Martyrs of World War II beatified by Pope John Paul II in Warsaw on June 13, 1999; feast June 12 (group feast) or August 25 (individual) |
| Primary Shrine | Auschwitz Memorial, Oświęcim, Poland — site of his martyrdom; August 25 feast (individual) or June 12 feast (108 Polish Martyrs); JPII beatification Warsaw 1999 |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; August 25 feast (individual) or June 12 feast (group: 108 Polish Martyrs of World War II) in the Diocese of Łódź and in Poland |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Boleslas Strzelecki was born February 6, 1896, at Zadzim in central Poland. He became a Conventual Franciscan priest.
After the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and the beginning of the Nazi occupation, he was arrested by the German occupiers. He was imprisoned at Auschwitz concentration camp. He died there on August 25, 1941 — eleven days after Saint Maximilian Kolbe died in the same camp.
He was one of the 108 Polish Martyrs of World War II — a group of Polish Catholics killed by the Nazis and Soviets, beatified collectively by Pope John Paul II in Warsaw on June 13, 1999. His feast day is August 25 (or June 12 for the group feast).
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Zadzim, Łęczyca County (now Poddębice County), Łódź Voivodeship, Poland
Death location: Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Oświęcim, Poland
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Oświęcim, Poland — site of his martyrdom; UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Feast day
August 25 (individual feast); June 12 (feast of the 108 Polish Martyrs of World War II)
Veneration
Blessed Boleslas Strzelecki (1896–1941) was a Polish Conventual Franciscan priest martyred at Auschwitz on August 25, 1941 — eleven days after Saint Maximilian Kolbe died in the same camp — and one of the 108 Polish Martyrs of World War II beatified by John Paul II in Warsaw, 1999. Feast August 25.
Prayers
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