The Marian Martyrs of Rosica

148 The Marian Martyrs of Rosica of a house. A tiny bench served as an altar and a glass was used as the chalice. Was it not then God’s most beloved temple?And wasn’t their Mass, linked to such personal sacrifice, the most gracious gift? They had to rise before dawn to be on time for camp labor. Hiding from the eyes of the guards, we took some photos near the house. Together with my dear hosts, I visited Lucjanowo. Then, I returned to Druja where I celebrated my First Mass and began my work as a priest. Events took place very quickly after that. Easter went by, and rumbling could be heard from far away. This time it was land artillery, not air bombardment. The front was approaching quickly. The feast of Corpus Christi arrived. In the morning I was suddenly awakened by the pastor. “Listen, you must go to Idolta. The Belarussian police have arrested Fr. Gramz and taken him away. You will celebrate Low Mass and come back. The people cannot be left without Holy Mass.” “All right, I am going,” I replied. Our neighbor from Idolta, Fr. Gramz, was a saintly man. He had so much personal charm that everyone was attracted to him. Many years later, I chanced upon some people who knew him in Warsaw. They had spent time together studying in Rome, and they couldn’t stop telling stories about this man with such a beautiful spirit. He had such great reverence for the Blessed Sacrament. He used to spend long, lonely hours in his old church in front of the hidden God. As a seminarian, when reading the passion account on Palm Sunday, he couldn’t finish because he simply started crying. His was an ardent spirit. He was a simple man, natural in demeanor, without any airs or affectations. One day he visited us in Druja and the conversation went on and on until evening arrived; and it was ten kilometers back to Idolta. Father Gramz had not been invited to spend the night, so he set out on his way home. Right away, I went to Fr. Smolinski, our pastor, who allowed us to keep the guest overnight. He was a quiet, non-imposing, saintly man.