Story behind beatification of Poland's Father Stanislaw Streich is one of quiet courage

WARSAW, Poland (OSV News) -- In one of the first beatifications under Pope Leo XIV, the church in Poland is preparing to celebrate the beatification of Father Stanislaw Streich, a humble parish priest murdered at the altar in 1938.

On May 24, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, will preside over the ceremony in Poznan, recognizing ather Streich as a martyr killed "in odium fidei" -- "in hatred of the faith."

Born in 1902, Father Streich studied classical philology and was known for his intellectual curiosity and gentle nature. Yet his mission led him not to academic halls, but to Lubon, a gritty industrial village near Poznan. It was there, in the church, whose construction he himself initiated, that he gave his life. He was ordained in 1925 in Poland that freshly regained independence after 120 years of partitions.

On Feb. 27, 1938, during a Sunday morning Mass for children, Father Streich was gunned down by a radical communist during the consecration of the Eucharist. The murder shocked the nation. Father Streich's funeral drew approximately 20,000 mourners, reflecting the profound impact he had on his community.

"Father Streich was no celebrity cleric" Father Wojciech Mueller, the postulator of his canonization cause, told OSV News. "He was a priest who was a builder. He had an amazing ability to bring people together," the postulator said. "He worked with factory workers, the poor, the unemployed -- he was building not only a church, but a community, Father Mueller added.

"He was remarkably sensitive to human suffering -- poverty, unemployment, hunger," the postulator said. "He organized pastoral care in a simple, accessible way and managed to bring people together despite social divisions."

"For decades, the story of Father Streich was passed down in secret in Lubon," said Father Maciej Szczepaniak, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Poznan, explaining that Father Streich was killed by a communist activist before Poland experienced the horrors of World War II and subsequent communist rule that lasted until 1989. Despite half a century of communist persecution in the country that followed the war, Father Streich's underground cult "was very lively," Father Szczepaniak said.

"The Nazi invasion just months after his death, followed by communist repression, stifled any open commemoration," he added.

"There was a silence around" his martyrdom, added Father Mueller. "But once the Iron Curtain fell, that silence was broken. After 1989, people began to speak. Families brought out hidden photos, letters, and oral accounts. The parish in Lubon became the grassroots center of remembrance," the postulator of Father Streich's beatification cause told OSV News.

Father Szczepaniak added: "the memory survived and became the starting point for the beatification process."

The cause formally began with the diocesan phase in 2017, but critical evidence -- including testimonies from five living eyewitnesses -- had already been gathered during the earlier "pre-process" phase. "By the time the diocesan phase closed in 2019, more than 3,500 pages of documentation had been collected, with 31 witnesses officially interviewed."

In May 2024, the Vatican confirmed that Father Streich was a martyr, killed "in odium fidei" -- "in hatred of the faith." This ruling cleared the way for his beatification this May.

Father Streich "had a natural ability to reconcile conflicting communities," the postulator of his cause told OSV News. "Today, that's a charism we desperately need." Father Szczepaniak believes the legacy of Father Streich is not just one of sacrifice but of authenticity. "Today, many people live behind masks -- politicians, influencers, even public figures in the Church," he said. "Father Streich was real. He gave his life because he cared."

Retired Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki of Poznan called the upcoming beatification "an extraordinary sign of hope for the church." He likened Father Streich to Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko, the Solidarity-era polish priest murdered in 1984. "He remained faithful to his calling, even at the cost of his life," Archbishop Gadecki said.

The archbishop's words resonate in a world rife with polarization. "We need saints who knew how to reconcile people," Father Mueller said. "Father Streich had that spirit -- he could unify very different social groups for a greater good. He could be the patron of reconciling people."

Father Szczepaniak added: "Today, we need people of courage. Pope Leo XIV warns us against a war of words, images and ideologies. Blessed Father Stanislaw Streich, I believe, will teach us compassion for others and the bravery to do what is right.