The Marian Martyrs of Rosica

CHAPTER ELEVEN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE EXPERIENCED PASTOR ANNA KRUMIN, ROSICA I knew Fr. Anthony Leszczewicz very well. He was an active priest. He visited his parishioners. He visited my parents’ house as well. He spoke the local language. He was accessible and serene. He loved children and old people. He liked to tell stories and did it in an interesting manner. He could also engage the interest of young people. He was an experienced pastor. He had lived in many countries. He had seen much, and he shared his experiences. Everybody loved him, and he admired us because we had been able to preserve our deep faith for seven years without a priest. Owing to the zealous missionary work of Fr. Leszczewicz and Fr. Kaszyra, a great religious revival took place during the year and a half of their pastoral efforts. By their piety and zeal, the priests brought us even closer to God, and they awakened special devotion for the Virgin Mary. All this was ordained by God’s providence to prepare us well to offer a pure and immac- ulate sacrifice. God assigned a difficult role to them, but I believe that they performed this task well. They did their missionary work well, both during their missionary work and, on the day of trial, when they did not abandon their flock. I remember that I was forced to go into the church on February 19, 1943. It was already the fifth day of the pacifica- tion, a Friday. The priests were no longer in the church. I was told, both in the church and later in the Satsapils camp near Riga, that the Germans had ordered the priests to walk away from the people and leave the church, but the priests pleaded for the imprisoned people, explaining to the Germans that these