Blessed Antoni Zawistowski
- 4 June
- 12 June as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War II
Profile
After high school, Antoni studied at the Metropolitan Seminary in Lublin, Poland, and the Theological Academy in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Lublin in 1906. Father Antoni returned to Lublin where he served as vicar of the cathedral parish, professor of theology at the Lublin seminary, and vice-rector of the school from 1918 to 1929. Away from the school and church, he was active in local charities and became known in the city as the almoner for the money he raised for the poor.
On 17 November 1939, about 10 weeks into the German invasion of Poland, Father Antoni, along with other clergy in the diocese, was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in Lublin Castle. On trumped up charges, stemming from being a loyal and active priest, Antoni was first sentenced to death, which was then commuted to life imprisonment. On 4 December 1939 he was transferred to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and then on 14 December 1940 he was transferred to the Dachau concentration camp. Over his remaining 18 months, between forced labour and torture sessions, Father Antoni ministered to other prisoners. Martyr.
Born
- 10 November 1882 in Strumiany, Wielkopolskie, Poland
- 4 June 1942 in the Dachau concentration camp, Oberbayern, Germany of overwork, abuse and neglect
- his body was destroyed in the camp crematorium
- 26 March 1999 by Pope John Paul II (decree of martyrdom)
Readings
We are here for the faith, the Church and the Homeland; for this cause we consciously give our lives. – Blessed Antoni to fellow prisoners in Dachau
MLA Citation
- “Blessed Antoni Zawistowski“. CatholicSaints.Info. 16 October 2023. Web. 19 April 2024. <>