Resurrectionist Martyrs – Fr. Jan Gracz CR

Born on October 20, 1905, in Radawnica near Złotów, son of Stefan and Marta (née Ciza). He was baptized on October 22, 1905, and confirmed on June 23, 1918, at St. Barbara’s Church in Radawnica (Złotów deanery, Gniezno-Poznań metropolitan area). He studied in schools in Radawnica, Złotów, and Bydgoszcz. He entered the Congregation on March 4, 1927, and took his first vows on October 28, 1928, in Kraków (before Father Stanisław Skwierawski CR, the Master of Novices). He continued his education at a high school in Lwów (1928-1929), studied philosophy and theology at the University of Jan Kazimierz in Lwów (1928-1933). At the end of November 1930, he participated in the funeral of his brother. He received minor orders on December 20, 1930, and February 2, 1932. He took perpetual vows on October 28, 1931, in Lwów (before Father Wojciech Cyrwus CR, the Superior of the house) and was ordained a priest on June 10, 1933, at the seminary church in Lwów (by Bishop Franciszek Lisowski). He was a Master of Pedagogy and served as a pastor at St. Boniface’s Parish in Warsaw (1933-1934), then as a parish priest in Poznań at Krzyżowniki (1934-1935). He was a rector at the boarding school in Lwów (1935-1937) and then returned as a parish priest in Poznań at Krzyżowniki (1937-1941). Arrested by the Nazis at the rectory on October 6, 1941, he as imprisoned in the KL Posen concentration camp (Fort VII) and, on October 30, 1941, transferred to the KL Dachau concentration camp, where he was assigned the number 28063. He was murdered on August 13, 1942, in Dachau.