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Hilary Januszewski was born
on 11 June 1907 in Krajenki (Poland) and was given the name of Pawel. He
received a Christian education from his parents, Martin and Marianne. He
attended the college in Greblin (where his family lived from 1915), and
then continued his studies at the Institute of Suchary, but had to abandon
these due to economic difficulties of the family. He took up other studies
and in 1927 entered the Order of Carmel. He was ordained priest on 15 July
1934. He obtained his lectorate in theology and the prize for the best
students of the Roman Academy of St. Thomas and in 1935 returned to Poland
to the monastery in Cracow. On his return to Poland he was appointed
professor of Dogmatic Theology and Church History at the institute of the
Polish Province in Cracow. On 1 November 1939, Fr. Eliseus Sánchez‑Paredes,
Provincial, appointed him prior of the community. At that time, Poland had
already been occupied by the Germans a few weeks earlier. One year later,
the invaders decreed the arrest of many religious and priests. On 18
September 1940 the Gestapo deported four friars from the Carmel in Cracow.
In December, when other friars were arrested, Fr. Hilary decided to
present himself in exchange for an older and sick friar. In April 1941 to
the concentration camp of Dachau. There he was a model of prayer life,
encouraging others and giving hope for a better tomorrow. Together with
the other Carmelites, among whom was Blessed Titus Brandsma, they often
joined in prayer. To help the sick, 32 priests presented themselves to the
authorities. A couple of days later, Fr. Hilary Januszewski spontaneously
joined the group. His apostolate lasted 21 days because, infected by
typhus, he died on 25 March 1945, a few days before the liberation of the
concentration camp. His body was cremated in the crematorium of Dachau.
Fr. Hilary Januszewski was beatified by John Paul II on 13 June 1999,
during his apostolic visit to Warsaw (Poland). On this occasion the Pope
beatified 108 Polish martyrs of the Second World War, victims of Nazi
persecution.
Beatified: 13 June 1999
by Pope John Paul II at Warsaw, Poland
Canonized: pending |
