Posted on 11/25/2018 7:46:10 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o
Sister Cecylia Roszak was among group of nuns who set up convent hiding Jews who escaped the Vilna Ghetto from the Nazis • Named Righteous Among the Nations in 1984, Sister Cecylia was "like a mother" to those children, says fellow nun at Krakow convent. News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
Polish nun Sister Cecylia Roszak, who has been honored for sheltering Jewish children during the Holocaust, died last week at the age of 110 and was laid to rest on Thursday in Krakow.
Born March 25, 1908, Sister Cecylia joined a Krakow convent at age 21. She was in her 30s during the German occupation of Poland during World War II, and was one of several nuns who set up a new convent near Vilna, today Vilnius in Lithuania, where they hid Jews who had escaped the ghetto there from the Nazis.
"She was like a mother to them, understanding, caring. And then the persecution of these children by the Germans started," said fellow nun Sister Stefania, of the Dominican convent in Krakow.
Holding a photograph of Sister Cecylia and two of the children, Sister Stefania said, "She hid them in the bales of grains in the barn where there were a few other nuns dressed as civilians and those children.
"She was taking care of them very warmly and she also took care of their education, not only the spiritual but also the intellectual education of these children."
The Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum recognized Sister Cecylia as Righteous Among the Nations in 1984 for having risked her life to save Jews during the Holocaust.
Nuns and other church members gathered in Krakow for her funeral, where she was remembered as modest and merciful.
The mother superior of her convent, Stanislawa Chruscicka, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that Sister Cecylia would often comment that "life is very beautiful but too short."
Chruscicka said a huge bouquet at Thursday's funeral was sent by a woman called Wanda Jerzyniec, who, along with her brother, was sheltered by Sister Cecylia after the Germans shot both their parents in Vilnius in 1944.
Chruscicka said the nuns learned about Jerzyniec earlier this year after Polish media wrote about Sister Cecylia on her 110th birthday. She said that Jerzyniec was too frail to attend the funeral.
The funeral Mass was held at the Dominican nuns' church in Krakow and Sister Cecylia was then buried in the city's historic Rakowicki cemetery.
Father Pawel Rytel-Andrianik, spokesman for Poland's Roman Catholic Church, described Sister Cecylia as "probably the oldest nun in the world."
"She was a person who was very demanding with herself, but at the same time she had a very open and merciful heart, just like Mother Teresa of Calcutta," Sister Stefania said.
and
I can't get enough of these stories. Even in the midst of incomprehensible horror, some people shine in their courage and humanity.
May God bless those who forget their own safety and stretch out their arms to save others.
She was born on the Great Feast of the Annunciation and buried on her Name Day—the Feast of St. Cecilia is November 22.
Framed with blessedness befitting one who was a blessing to so many.
A beautiful life truly lived. I posted about it on FR yetserday (https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3708140/posts) but the article you posted gives a better picture into her character.
110? Good for her.
“I can’t get enough of these stories. Even in the midst of incomprehensible horror, some people shine in their courage and humanity.”
Yes, and someone earlier posting about Russia and Germany made the point that the Poles have been in the “middle” and have suffered greatly under the collective “hands” of these two POS countries. The Poles are your basic decent, wonderful people, and here is a shining example. I just hope they can keep the “Merkel $hit” out of their country. Ditto for Putin, I fear he could be our next Hitler.
May God grant rest to her soul, and a Heavenly reward commensurate with her actions.
Thank you for posting this story.
Amazing person.
Strong physically and spiritually.
110... WOW.
Just read where 70-80% of Italian Jews survived the war by being sheltered mainly by average Italians.
Just read where 70-80% of Italian Jews survived the war by being sheltered mainly by average Italians.
Re Sister Roszak. God bless her for being such a brave human being in the face of one of the worst religious holocausts in history.
Re the Italians and their Jewish citizens. Sy Rotner made a wonderful documentary about how the southern Italians (who were not under direct Nazi-rule/occupation, protected their Jewish neighbors by hiding them or taking them into their families.
One story which sounds plausible was that the Catholic Bishop or Cardinal for that region of Italy asked the Pope what he should do or could do to save his fellow Jewish citizens. The Pope, under a lot of Nazi pressure not to protect Jews in occupied Europe, reportedly told him to do what he thought was best.
With that ambiguous answer, this Cardinal/Bishop ordered his parishioners to help save the Jews and that his how it went.
If anyone can locate the movie or has seen it (I saw it about 20-25 years ago), I’d love to hear your impressions about it.
Thanks to all our brave Italian heroes for defying the Germans and Italian Fascists by saving their Jewish friends.
God bless her and take her to His loving heart. What a brave Christian woman.
Re Sister Roszak. God bless her for being such a brave human being in the face of one of the worst religious holocausts in history.
Re the Italians and their Jewish citizens. Sy Rotner made a wonderful documentary about how the southern Italians (who were not under direct Nazi-rule/occupation, protected their Jewish neighbors by hiding them or taking them into their families.
One story which sounds plausible was that the Catholic Bishop or Cardinal for that region of Italy asked the Pope what he should do or could do to save his fellow Jewish citizens. The Pope, under a lot of Nazi pressure not to protect Jews in occupied Europe, reportedly told him to do what he thought was best.
With that ambiguous answer, this Cardinal/Bishop ordered his parishioners to help save the Jews and that his how it went.
If anyone can locate the movie or has seen it (I saw it about 20-25 years ago), I’d love to hear your impressions about it.
Thanks to all our brave Italian heroes for defying the Germans and Italian Fascists by saving their Jewish friends.
>> Even in the midst of incomprehensible horror, some people shine in their courage and humanity.
Well said.
Would like to see that film. Let me know if you locate it.
ping
There’s a good movie (it’s hard to find )but recommended is Assisi Underground. It’s a story of Jewish people hidden in the church attic in Assisi. True story.
Thanks so much for posting.
I visited Assisi — beautiful. I’ll hunt down the movie.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.