(ANS – Kraków) – As the Church prepares for the beatification of the nine Salesian educators and martyrs of World War II, they stand before us as witnesses of faith—persevering and faithful shepherds who remained steadfast despite the severe trials they endured. The recognition of their holiness will help preserve their memory for future generations, especially for today’s youth, living in a world where respect for authority and enduring values is often diminished.

In a letter dated October 2, 1996, addressed to Fr. Tadeusz Szaniawski, then pastor of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in Kraków, John Paul II wrote:

“I remember the Salesian priests, of whom only the elderly parish priest and the Provincial remained during the war, while all the others were deported to Auschwitz.”

During the beatification process, numerous witnesses testified to the priests’ deep pastoral zeal and recognized them as exemplary priests worthy of remembrance and veneration.

Witnesses also recounted how, during the cold and dark nights in the concentration camps, the Salesians—despite strict prohibitions—celebrated the Eucharist, administered the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and prepared countless prisoners, stripped of their dignity and identity, to meet death with faith. The fire of their charity, burning most intensely in the darkest moments, shines through the testimony of those who recognized in these nine Servants of God an extraordinary witness among the countless victims of the camps.

One witness recalled the suffering endured by the future Blessed Fr. Ludwik Mroczek, SDB:

“In the evenings I would visit Fr. Mroczek. Conversations with him brought comfort. With his simple faith and frank words, he knew how to reassure people. In everything he pointed to God’s purpose. His simplicity and kindness calmed people amid the sea of anger, hatred, resentment, and suffering surrounding the venerable priest. We loved him. He was a titan of suffering.”

Amid the horrors of the concentration camps, two attitudes stand out above all: unwavering faith and the capacity to forgive. Accounts of the martyrdom of Fr. Jan Świerc, SDB describe how he prayed at the moment of his death:

“Oh Jesus, oh Jesus, have mercy on us.”

His prayer provoked the fury of one of the kapos, who shouted:

“Wait, in a moment I will show you Jesus; there is no God here, He will not help you. He will not snatch you from my hands.”

Yet the cruelty of the executioner did not interrupt Fr. Jan’s trusting dialogue with the Lord. From his lips came only a plea for mercy.

Another moving testimony concerns Fr. Karol Golda, SDB, for whom the concentration camp became a place of apostolate:

“Fr. Karol had a serene disposition; he was optimistic and knew how to communicate peace and self-control to others. He spent his free time with fellow prisoners. The Servant of God comforted them, supported them, heard their confessions, and accompanied them on their final journey. No one can describe the immensity of his priestly ministry carried out in secret. He did all this with joy and zeal because he knew the Lord had sent him there precisely for this purpose.”

Reflecting on the witness of martyrs, John Paul II wrote in Veritatis Splendor:

“Martyrdom is, in the end, a shining sign of the Church’s holiness: fidelity to God’s holy law, witnessed to through death, is a solemn proclamation and a missionary commitment usque ad sanguinem so that the splendor of moral truth may not be obscured in the customs and mentality of individuals and society.”

On another occasion, speaking about the martyrs of the 20th century during his apostolic journey to Poland on June 11, 1999, he added:

“Christians in Europe and throughout the world, bowing in prayer at the gates of concentration camps and prisons, must be grateful for that light of Christ which they made shine forth in the darkness.”

The Salesians in Poland expressed their hope with these words:

“We believe that the martyrdom of our Salesian martyrs will be a source of inspiration for future generations, especially for young followers of Christ, who, looking to their example, will find in them remarkable models of fidelity to Christ in today’s world, remaining faithful to Him until the very end.”