By Kristina Millare
Rome Newsroom, Jan 27, 2025 / 17:40 pm
On January 27, 2025, the world marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp in Poland. This anniversary serves as a poignant reminder of the holy men and women who were witnesses of faith, hope, and love during one of the darkest chapters in human history. The legacy of the Auschwitz martyrs continues to inspire Catholics worldwide. Here are some of these martyrs and their stories, categorized by religious order:
Order of Carmelites (OCD)
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891–1942), also known as Edith Stein, was a Jewish convert to Catholicism. She perished in an Auschwitz gas chamber on the same day she arrived at the camp. This German philosopher and saint was canonized on October 11, 1998, and proclaimed co-patron of Europe in 1999 by Pope John Paul II.
Sister Rosa Stein (1883–1942), the older sister of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also converted to Catholicism and joined the Discalced Carmelites. Both sisters were discovered and arrested in a Carmelite monastery in the Netherlands on August 2, 1942. They arrived at Auschwitz a week later and met their tragic fate together on August 9, 1942.
The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM)
St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894–1941) is one of the most renowned Franciscan martyrs of the 20th century. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 10, 1982, after sacrificing his life in 1941 to save a fellow prisoner at Auschwitz. Following his execution by lethal injection due to starvation, he was cremated the next day on August 15, 1941.
Welcome to a special blog post commemorating the Feast of the Assumption of Mary!
On this day, we remember the brave Conventual Franciscan martyrs who served in Auschwitz during World War II. St. Maximilian Kolbe, along with Father Jan Antonin Bajewski, Father Ludwik Pius Bartosik, and Brother Stanisław Tymoteusz Trojanowski, ministered to the physical and spiritual needs of the prisoners, spreading hope and faith in the midst of darkness.
Another hero, Brother Piotr Bonifacy Żukowski, displayed great faith and goodness, comforting fellow prisoners in Warsaw before his transfer to Auschwitz, where he eventually succumbed to pneumonia after months of hard labor.
Franciscan Friars (OFM Cap)
Brother Symforian Ducki, known for his spiritual simplicity, forgave and blessed his abusers with the sign of the cross before his brutal death at the hands of camp guards in Auschwitz. His act of forgiveness and compassion inspired those around him.
Father Anicet Koplinski, a German priest revered for his holiness and mercy, faced his own martyrdom in Auschwitz, turning his sufferings into prayer and offering them up for the greater good.
Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel (CSMA)
Lastly, Father Wojciech Nierychlewski, a Michaelite father known for his passion for education and print publishing, was sent to Auschwitz, where he continued to shine his light in the darkest of places.
