Venanzio Katarzyniec

Ordained a priest, Father Venanzio became a vicar in Czyszki. During the First World War, he supported the faithful and dedicated himself to teaching children. In September 1915, he was appointed novice master and spiritual director in Lviv, where he also taught philosophy, Latin, and Greek, while visiting the sick. Afflicted with tuberculosis, he refused to spare his efforts. In 1919, as his health declined, he was sent to rest in the convents of Hanaczów and then Kalwaria Pacławska. Despite his weakness, he continued to hear confessions for long hours. After a severe pulmonary hemorrhage in December 1920, he died on March 31, 1921, in Kalwaria Pacławska at the age of 31.

Father Venanzio's reputation for holiness spread immediately after his death in 1921. His close friend, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, whom he met in 1912, played a key role by publishing his biography in 1922 in the first issue of the 'Knight of the Immaculata' and by designating him as the heavenly patron of the magazine. In 1930, Kolbe insisted on initiating his beatification process. The diocesan informative process opened on June 27, 1950, in Przemyśl. On August 16, 1950, his remains were exhumed and transferred to a tomb under the portico of the church in Kalwaria Pacławska.

The diocesan process was transmitted to Rome. On April 26, 2016, Pope Francis authorized the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, conferring upon him the title of Venerable. On March 24, 2018, his relics were transferred to a new marble tomb inside the church of Kalwaria Pacławska. Although no miracle has yet been officially approved for his beatification, popular devotion is growing and attracting many pilgrims.

The spirituality of Venanzio Katarzyniec is based on the extraordinary fulfillment of ordinary daily actions, Eucharistic adoration, and Marian devotion. Nicknamed the 'banknote-distributing friar' or the 'heavenly accountant,' he is very popular in Poland as an intercessor for financial and professional difficulties. In his honor, the Father-Wenanty-Katarzyniec Aid Center was founded in Kalwaria Pacławska to offer free therapeutic and psychological support.