Lumen 2018

ever, where following the moral norms is concerned, the older gen- eration comes off better. The majority of the faithful feel a true bond with the parish and the priests. 29 The current residents of Podegrodzie show tremendous venera- tion for Fr. Papczynski and are convinced that he obtains many graces from God for them. Some thank him for help in times of danger, others for protection during natural disasters. And that is also how it used to be in the past. In the period between World War I and World War II, Rev. Father Sydry wrote down this observation: “And most gladly they talk about the pride of their village, about John Pa- pczynski, the holy priest, as they call him. It was he who made the name of their village famous throughout the entire Republic of Poland. It is his person that is associated with the glorious times of Poland’s independent past. And it has been so many times that they experienced his merciful intercession, to mention only the period of the last world war. An outpost of the Russian artillery stood nearby, shells from Austrian cannons were falling around the village, but not a single one of them did any damage to their village, not a single cottage caught fire. ‘Our saint obtained this for us’ — they repeat with great conviction.” 30 The parishioners of Podegrodzie often pray for the elevation of Fr. Papczynski to the honors of the altar. They say: “When this holy Pole obtains the honors of the altar, there will be joy in all of Podegrodzie.” A Noble Blacksmith The name of Fr. Stanislaus Papczynski’s father was Thomas Papka or Papiec. Papczynski himself 31 mentions his father’s first name and other sources confirm it, too. But the same sources are not unan- imous with regard to Thomas’s family name. According to Leporini, the family name was Papczynski, 32 according to Wyszynski, that name was Papka. 33 The latter version of the family name can be found in one of the testimonies in the Information Process, where the author of the testimony states that he had heard that name from Wyszynski. 34 According to a register of the clergy of the Tarnow Dio- S TANISLAUS P APCZYNSKI 52