Blessed Stanisław Streich

Stanisław Streich was born at Bydgoszcz in Poland on 27 August 1902 and entered the seminary of Poznań in 1920. Ordained on 6 June 1925, he served as assistant priest in several parishes of Poznań, was appointed parish priest of Saint Barbara at Żabikowo in 1932, and in 1935 of the new parish of Saint John Bosco at Luboń. There he began building a new church and threw himself into pastoral work, forming catechetical and prayer groups for children, young people and adults, and doing much to help workers, the unemployed and needy families whatever their social or political background. This activity was resented by the followers of communist ideology who had settled at Luboń and who tried to obstruct him.

He received anonymous letters, insulting and abusive, foretelling his death, and unknown men broke into the church, profaned the tabernacle and scattered the vestments. Though living under strain he was not discouraged and continued his ministry. On Sunday 27 February 1938, during Mass, as he approached the ambo for the homily, he was shot four times by the communist Wawrzyniec Nowak.