Italian
KRAKOW — In a historical moment once again plagued by the winds of war, the Church points the way to peace through the ultimate sacrifice of nine of its sons. On Saturday, June 6, the Sanctuary of Saint John Paul II in Krakow hosted the solemn beatification celebration of Father Jan Świerc and eight companions in ordination, Salesian religious torn from life by the Nazi fury.
Presiding over the rite, in his capacity as papal representative, was Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, who portrayed the new blessed not as symbols of a dark memory, but as beacons of hope.
“The blessed represent, yesterday as today, a true seed of peace and fraternity in times deeply marked by conflicts and violence. We do not celebrate the sadness of those events, but the glory of Christ witnessed by these nine sons of Don Bosco.”
From the martyrdom in the camps to the bond with Karol Wojtyła
The capture and subsequent killing of the nine priests are part of the fierce anti-Catholic campaign unleashed by the Third Reich following the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. Between 1941 and 1942, the religious faced their personal Calvary in the extermination camps of Auschwitz and Dachau, succumbing to violence, torture, and deprivation.
This new group of blessed individuals fits into the rich spiritual firmament of Poland, alongside giants like Saint Faustina Kowalska and Saint John Paul II himself. The Polish Pope had an indirect but profound connection with the martyrs: as a young man, he attended the Salesian parish of Saint Stanislaus Kostka in Dębniki with his friend Jan Tyranowski (now venerable). In that place, many of the nine blessed carried out their ministry, an experience that Wojtyła himself would later recall in the book Gift and Mystery.
Until the end, the nine Salesians remained faithful to the founder’s charism, dedicating themselves to the education of the poorest boys and refusing to abandon their flock in the face of the anti-religious hatred of the last century.
The triple appeal of Semeraro: youth, clergy, and digital society
During the homily, the cardinal prefect wanted to outline the legacy of the martyrs in three specific invitations addressed to the contemporary Church:
The future of young people: An exhortation to the new generations not to be seduced by “easy and immediate” success models, which can only leave a sense of inner emptiness. The invitation is to open their hearts to Christ in moments of loneliness or uncertainty, as the Pope and the Church look to them with utmost trust to purify their dreams.
The fidelity of the Salesians: A strong call to the religious of the congregation to reinvigorate their vocation. Quoting John Paul II, the cardinal urged the priests to “not be afraid of the vertigo of a holy priestly life.”
The redemption from digital solitude: A reflection that touches all believers, immersed today in virtual relationships that often deceive but do not unite. Being saints today means rediscovering the ability to listen to the true voice of the Good Shepherd, making courageous and countercultural choices.
A light for the present
In closing, Cardinal Semeraro established an immediate parallel with today’s geopolitical reality, which is also wounded by the cruelties of wars. The example of the nine Salesian martyrs demonstrates that even in the darkest hours of human history, it is possible to nurture love, brotherhood, and spiritual resistance against all forms of oppression.
