ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY
Saints celebrated on the 23rd of February
BLESSED STEFAN FREILICHOWSKI, PRIEST AND MARTYR
As a Polish Scout prior to his entry into the seminary, Stefan Wincenty Freilichowski, born on January 22, 1913, "acquired a particular sensitivity to the needs of others" (John Paul II, beatification homily). He was ordained a priest in 1937.
His first assignment as a parish priest was at Torun, where he was arrested with several other priests by the Gestapo and released after a few days. In October 1939, he was again stopped and sent to various prisons and camps in succession, and finally Dachau (December.13, 1940). At each stop along the way, Blessed Stefan witnessed to the love of Christ through his humble service to others.
During the typhus epidemics at Dachau (1944-45), he brought spiritual comfort to the afflicted and dying until he himself contracted the disease, then developed pneumonia. He died in the camp hospital at age 32 - just two months before the end of the war. The decree of his martyrdom was signed on March 26, 1999. He was beatified on June 7, 1999 by Pope John Paul II.
PRAYER:
May the intercession of Blessed Stefan commend us to you, so that through his merits we may obtain that which we cannot accomplish by our own. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Information from:
https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/frelichowski-stefan-wincenty-bl
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