The Marian Martyrs of Rosica

CHAPTER SIXTEEN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF AN OFFICER GRANTING A GIRL’S WISH MARTHA PIROH, KRZYWOSIELCE I remember very well when the soldiers were rounding up everyone who didn’t run away in time, although many did. Soldiers put them into various buildings, locked them up, threw in grenades and set them on fire. I, along with three children, Gala, Halina, and Michael, who was only three years old, ran away into the forest. After a week, I had to come back home because of cold and hunger. On the same day, soldiers appeared, rounded us up, and herded us into the church. There was no one there yet, but new groups of people began to arrive soon after. We spent a few days there. I know that a priest came with one of the groups and he was calming the others, saying: “Don’t cry. This is our service to God.” They were walking with candles in their hands. I also remember the following event: A girl from the Grabowski family was assigned to the group which was to be saved, while her parents and her small brother were in the group destined to be burned. The girl fell at the feet of a German officer, kissed his feet, and asked for her mommy. The officer moved the mother to the saved group. She fell again, kissed his feet and asked for her daddy. The officer saved the father too. She did the same for the third time and asked for her little brother. Again, the officer granted her wish. I am sure that if the priests wanted to save themselves, they could have easily obtained release, but the priests were aware that this was their place, that the people needed them very much. That is why they stayed, for the sake of Christ and their fellow human beings.