(d.1942) Jozef was a Polish priest and seminary rector. Kazimierz was a Polish parish priest, teacher, and prefect of schools. Both priests were arrested by the Gestapo in Poland and deported to the Dachau concentration camp just outside of Munich, Germany. Father Kazimierz kept forgiving those who beat him, angering the guard responsible for his death. They were both hanged on January 9, 1942, in the prison camp of Dachau in Germany.
Fathers Józef Pawlowski and Kazimierz Grelewski continued to witness to their faith and the hope it gave them, even in the worst of circumstances (cf. 1 Peter 3:15). Hope is an essential spiritual principle in recovery, even in the midst of what feels like impossible situations. We see this throughout the Steps, but particularly in Step 2. What difference has hope in a power that can restore sanity made in your recovery?
“The blessed martyrs cry to our hearts: Believe in God who is love! Believe in him in good times and bad! Awaken hope! May it produce in you the fruit of fidelity to God in every trial!” (Pope Saint John Paul II, beatification homily of 108 Polish martyrs of World War II, June 13, 1999).
Reflection by Brad Farmer