Jan Świerc and companions

The work of Jan Świerc and his companions is rooted in the Salesian charism: the Christian education of youth, service to the poor, and the spiritual accompaniment of the faithful during times of trial. As school directors, theology professors, and parish pastors, these nine Polish Salesian priests dedicated their lives to the human and spiritual formation of young people in a Poland occupied and oppressed by the Nazi regime.

Their respective ministries bear witness to this heroic commitment: * Ignacy Antonowicz (1890-1941), rector of the Salesian theologate in Krakow, chose not to flee in order to remain with his seminarians. He died of exhaustion and mistreatment at Auschwitz on July 21, 1941. * Ignacy Dobiasz (1880-1941), a parish collaborator in Krakow, was murdered at Auschwitz on June 27, 1941. * Karol Golda (1914-1942), the youngest of the group, taught theology in Oświęcim. Arrested for hearing the confessions of German soldiers, he was executed by firing squad at Auschwitz on May 14, 1942. * Franciszek Harazim (1885-1941), high school director in Oświęcim and theology professor, was murdered at Auschwitz on June 27, 1941, alongside Kazimierz Wojciechowski. * Ludwik Mroczek (1905-1942), vicar and catechist, died in the Auschwitz infirmary on January 5, 1942, from the effects of torture and infection. * Włodzimierz Szembek (1883-1942), vicar in Skawa, spontaneously offered himself to the Gestapo to save a young Salesian aspirant. He died at Auschwitz on September 7, 1942. * Kazimierz Wojciechowski (1904-1941), educator and vicar in Krakow, was murdered at Auschwitz on June 27, 1941. * Franciszek Miśka (1898-1942), director of the Salesian house in Ląd, was deported to the Dachau camp where he died of starvation and torture on May 30, 1942.

The beatification process for Jan Świerc and his eight companions officially began on September 17, 2003, at the diocesan level in Pelplin, encompassing a group of Polish martyrs from the Second World War. The diocesan phase concluded on May 24, 2011, and the documents were transmitted to Rome. The Positio super martyrio was officially submitted on July 21, 2022.

On March 28, 2023, the historical consultants of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints issued a favorable opinion on the martyrdom of the nine Salesians. On October 24, 2025, Pope Leo XIV authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing their martyrdom in odium fidei (in hatred of the faith), thus opening the way for their beatification.

The beatification ceremony for Jan Świerc and his companions took place on June 6, 2026, at the Saint John Paul II Sanctuary in Krakow, Poland. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, acting as the personal representative of Pope Leo XIV. The choice of location is highly symbolic: the young Karol Wojtyła (the future John Paul II) attended the Dębniki parish and was deeply marked by the witness of faith and the martyrdom of these Salesian priests who guided him in his youth. Through the apostolic letter read during the ceremony, Pope Leo XIV inscribed Jan Świerc and his companions in the book of the blessed, setting their liturgical memorial for May 23.

The spirituality of Jan Świerc and his companions is deeply rooted in Don Bosco's preventive system, characterized by reason, religion, and affection (amorevolezza). Even in the heart of the hell of the Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps, they continued to live this charism by transforming their barracks into "oratories of pain." There, they clandestinely celebrated the Eucharist, heard the confessions of the dying, and offered spiritual comfort to their companions in misery, including Jewish prisoners.

Their legacy lies in their absolute fidelity to Christ and to their mission as educators. As the Rector Major of the Salesians, Father Fabio Attard, emphasized, they remained faithful in a world marked by violence and fear. Their supreme sacrifice remains a model of pastoral charity and Christian hope for contemporary youth.