The Marian Martyrs of Rosica

CHAPTER TWO HISTORY OF THE PROCESS: BEATIFICATION OF 108 MARTYRS OF THE CHURCH IN POLAND DURING WORLD WAR II The cause of beatification of 108 of God’s Servant Martyrs for the Faith — victims of persecution of the Church in Poland in the years 1939-1945 by the Nazi regime — only began as a formal process of beatification procedure in 1992. However, the witness of the martyrs began in earnest just after the end of World War II. The fame of the sanctity and martyrdom of multiple persons from the group of 108 Servants of God, as well as the graces ascribed to their intervention, focused the attention of dioceses and religious families on the need to open the beatification process. Those martyred included Archbishop Julian Anthony Nowowiejski, Bishop Leon Wetmanski, Rev. Henry Hlebowicz, Rev. Henry Kaczorowski with a group of priests from Wloclawek, Rev. Joseph Kowalski, a Salesian, Brother Joseph Zaplata, and many others. However, for various reasons the process of beatification for them failed to be under- taken. The issue was brought up again by the beatification of Bishop Michael Kozal (Warsaw 1987). He was called “the true master of the martyrs” for priests imprisoned in concentration camps, especially in Dachau. During the discussion of Bishop Kozal’s martyrdom in the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, a proposal was made to start a separate beatification process for those to whom the bishop martyr was the leader in giving the highest testimony of faith. The idea was taken up by the Bishop of the Wloclawek diocese at that time, Henry Muszynski. After consultation with