Jerzy Popiełuszko

 I often listen to Fr. John Ricardo on the radio on my way to work. On his program this morning, he was speaking about Polish Martyrs. One name he mentioned was that of Jerzy Popiełuszko.

Jerzy Popiełuszko was born on September 14, 1947 and was baptized Alphons. After finishing school, he attended the priests' seminary in Warsaw. At that time, Poland was under communist rule and the government was anti-religion. From 1966 to 1968, Jerzy served his army duties in a special force that was aimed at keeping young men from becoming priests. This had no effect on his vocation, however the repeated punishments for his resistance affected his health for the rest of his life. On one occasion, he refused to crush a rosary beneath his heel and was beaten and put in solitary confinement.

Upon leaving the army, Jerzy returned to his studies and was ordained to the priesthood with his named changed to Jerzy in 1972. He was given the care of several small parishes until January 1979, when he collapsed while saying Mass. After his recovery in the hospital, he served as a hospital chaplain until being assigned to St. Stanislas Parish in Warsaw. 

In 1981, Fr. Jerzy served as chaplain for the striking Warsaw Steelworkers. Thereafter, he was closely associated with workers, trade unionists and the Solidarity movement. He himself was a staunch anti-communist, weaving political messages into his sermons. During that time of martial law, the Catholic Church was the only force that could voice protest comparatively openly. His sermons were broadcast by Radio Free Europe, and so were heard all across Poland.

The secret police tried to intimidate him into silence and then ramped up their efforts by fabricating evidence against him and having him arrested in 1983. He was soon released on intervention of the clergy. However, the efforts of the communists did not stop there. In October 1984, an "accident" was set up to kill him, but he evaded the initial attempt. On October 19, 1984, three security police officers pretended to have car trouble and flagged Fr. Jerzy down. He was kidnapped and beaten. He was taken in the trunk of the car to a reservoir where a rock was tied to his feet and he was thrown into the water. His body was not recovered until October 30.

Fr. Jerzy has been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as a Martyr and he was Beatified in 2010. His feast day is October 19. He is patron saint of Solidarity.