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Transcript: Sr. Rita Sperka's 11-09 talk, ''Vindication & Glory''
November 30, 2009.
"Vindication & Glory: The Global Impact of the Holocaust" A presentation by Sr. Rita Kathryn Sperka, CSFN, at the Holy Family University's two-day conference: 70 Years Later: The Global Impact of the Holocaust" Nov. 14-16, 2009, shortly after the 71st anniversarty of Krystallnacht, the Night of the Broken Glass in Germany and Austria. Sr. Rita's text: With the atrocities of WWII beyond the scope of the human intelligence, an inspection of subsequent outcomes is also of unimaginable proportions. In order that humanity will always remember the events with all their ramifications so that we will never repeate the atrocities, we must, likewise, acknowledge the magnanimity of the courageous one. The photo of the church in Marayong, Australia, offers us an excellent opportunity to reflect on the history of the Holocaust and the Polish people. When you look closely at the architecture of teh building, you notice that the roof is divided into six segments representing various stages of folded hands at prayer. After WWII, Australia, along with many contries, accepted people who had been displaced as a result of the war. As part of their adjustment to their new homes, many Polish Catholics needed to meet and support one another. Building a place of worship was paramount. A French architect listened to their concerns and proposed plans to build a living memorial to the 6 million Polish people killed during WWII -- 3.1 million Jews and 2.9million Christians, mainly Catholics. Each segment of the roof represents one million Poles who did not survive but will always be remembered because the survivors in Australia honored their lives -- Jew and Gentile together. A glance at European history will help us understand why Hitler targeted Polance. A check with Wikipedia on the internate corroborated by memory of Polish history over the past millennium. Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jewish community in Europe and served as the center for Jewish culture... From the founding of the kingdom of Poland in 1025 through to the early years of the Polish-Lituanian Commonwealth created in 1569, Poland was one of the most tolerant countries in Europe. Known as paradises Iudaeorum (Latin for 'Jewish paradise'), it became a unique shelter for persecuted and expelled European Jewish communities and a home to one of the world's largest and most vibrant Jewish communities... After the partitions of Poland in 1795 and the destruction of Poland as a sovereign state, Polish Jews were subjected to the laws of the partitioning powers...As Poland regained independence in the aftermath of World War I, it was the center of the European Jewish world, with one of the world's largest Jewish communities of over 3 million. * * * With the rerdrawing of national boundaries after World War II, Novogrodek, which was one part of Poland, found istelf within the borders of Belarus. ...as a typical Polish town after WWI, it included a sizable Jewish population. Having suffered from the tripartite partitioning of Poland and the effects of WWI, the Jewish community in Novogrodek received much aid from ex-townsfolk "who had found new lives for themselves in America. Under the leadership of Alexander Harcay, relatives and ex-citizens of Novogrudek (sic) in the United States raised a large sum of money for the community." On Sept. 4, 1929, when the sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth first came to Nowogrodek, it was home to a variety of people, including Catholic Poles, Russian Orthodox Christians, Tartars and Jews. Though a portion of the townsfolk did not welcome the sisters, members of the Jewish community helped the sisters move into their residence. Following a period of strained relations when the sisters considered withdrawing from the mission, cordial relationships gradually replaced the tension. The sisters' temporary home was the original home of Adam Mickiewicz, considered Poland's greatest poet. His home has been resotred and is a museum that draws tourists and students on class trips. Once in their own facilities, the sisters established a residence for young women from the rural areas who sought higher education, as well as a primary school (initially grades one to three, then gradually the upper levels). they also conducted craft classes for young women. These activities provided an opportunity for [people from] every subculture to intermingle. By the outbreak of WWII, all the original sisters had been replaced by others, who continued to unite the people through their services. Bishop Lozinski, who had invited the Congregation, entrusted the ancient church (fondly referred to as Fara by the people) to the care of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Historical events including marriage of the nobility and the baptism of Adam Mickiewicz were significant for the parishioners. Because this church, known as the Church of the Transfiguration, was in need of extensive repairs, the sisters spearheaded that task. To this day, the sisters maintain the church. Even after the [execution] of the sisters and the flight of the priest, the one surviving religious, Sr. Malgorzata, continued to pray with the parishioners. Over time, bit-by-bit information has allowed us to piece together an overview of the events. Prior to the Nazi penetration of eastern Poland, the land had been occupied by the Russian forces. When the German troops arrived, their overwhelming power was felt immediately. Priests and partisan fighters were dealt with ruthlessly by the Gestapo. When Traub, the German commander of the local forces was away, the Gestap[o arrested 120 townsfolk, mainly fathers of families, with the intent of executing them. Like Moses who always resorted to prayer when faced with momentous decisions, on learning of this situation, Sr. Stella and the sisters sought guidance in prayer. Meeting with Fr. Zienkiewicz, Sr. Stella informed him that the sisters resolved that if sacrifice of life was necessary, they were willing to offer themselved to God in place of those condemned to death. Upon the return of commander Traub, who had no prior knowledge of the Gestabpo's orders, he contacted his superior officers and the sentence was commuted to work in concentration camps, and a few people returned to their families. Shortly afterwards, the sisters learned that Fr. Alexander Zienkiewicz's name was on the Gestapo's new list. Believing that the ministry of the priest was vital to the support of the community, Sr. Stella informed the priest: You, Father, are more important than we, so we are now asking God that if further sacrifice is needed, to take us rather than you. Fr. Alexander and the [original] 120 [condemned] all survived the war. It is they, together with their families, who want the world to know the sisters' story. On July 31, 1943, a German dressed as a civilian approached Sr. Stella and ordered her to report to German headquarters together with her sisters at 7:30 pm. As usual, the sisters prayed with the people that evening and then proceeded to their assigned destination. On the way, they met Sr. Malgorzata who wanted to go with them. Since Sr. Malgorzata was dressed in lay clothes for her work as a nurse in the local hospital, Sr. Stella instructed her to go home and look after the priest and the church until at least some of the sisters returned. She believed that the Nazis did not have an exact account of the sisters. That encounter was the last time Sr. Malgorzata met the sisters alive. Based on sources that Sr. Malgorzata and Fr. Alexander happened upon over time, they pieced the facts together. Srs. Stella, Imelda, Raymond, Daniela, Canuta, Sergia, Gwidona, Felicita, Helidora, Canisia and Boromea were interrogated by the Gestapo. Coming from a former Prussian sector of the divided Poland, Srs. Gwidona and Heliodora were educated in schools conducted in the German language. Consequently, they were the spokespersons for the sisters. Those who overheard the interrogation commented ont he contrast between the bellowing harshness of the Gestapo and the gentle, subdued responses of the sisters. After nine that evening, they were escorted to a waiting vehicle and driven beyond Novogrodek's limits into the rural area, but there was so much activity onthe farms because it was still light out that they were obliged to return tot he administration building. The sisters spent the next few hours huddled together in a small basement room on a dirt floor where they prayerfully spent their last hours. following their 4 am departur on Aug. 1, the custodian went into the room where he found a cricifix that one of the sisters had brought with her. He took that crucifix to his home and only returned it to the sisters in the 1990s when he came to give his testimony before the commission hearings prior to the beatification of the sisters in 2000. Though his name had not been on the list of expected witnesses, his testimony, along with this prized possession, was most welcomed. He had heard the sisters praying together as they supported one another. In a wooded area surrounded by several small villages that used the meadow and woods as a shortcut, the Gestapo commandeered a young partisan to dig the sisters' grave. As they knelt in prayer, most of the sisters were shot in the head so that their faces were disfigured. Later that day, when one of the officers came to the home of a woman who had to praper his meal, he was very drunk. Obviously overwhelmed by the carnage, the anxiety-ridden officer cried, How they went. You had to see how they walked. When the woman asked, "who?" the officer responded: You don't know! Your sisters! After he affirmed their death, he warned the woman to keep quiet. Based on the information gathered, Adam Styka was commissioned to paint the scene of the execution. Eventually, Sr. Malgorzata was able to organize a 'mushroom-picking expedition' with two women into the woods for the purpose of investigating a new mound that someone had noticed int he woods. One of the women even carried her young daughter to help make their escapade more realistic. I met that child in 2000 at the beatification of our sisters in rome. She had brought her grandson to Rome so that he would have a living memory of the sisters' love of neighbor to pass on to his children and grandchildren. In March 1945, after the Nazi troops were forced to retreat, the sisters' remains were exhumed and on March 19, each was placed in a separate coffin, then drawn by sled to be buried in individual graves near the Fara (the White Church). Why were they killed? Why did the Gestapo target them? Some had said that their death was a mistake vbecause other religious sisters in the area were protecting Jews in their houses, whereas these sisters were unable to do so. * * * Let me share a mini view of each of the sisters so that you can draw your own conclusions. Sr. M. Stella (Adele) Mardosewicz Before entering the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN), Sr. Stella had completed a clandestine teacher-training program run by the CSFNs in Vilnius. Thanks to that experience, she knew how to live under stressful situations. Because the preceding [Nowogrodek] superior never returned froma meeting in Vilnius, Sr. Stella assumed allt he responsibilities of that office and displayed loving convern for the sisters and the people. during the Russian occupation, the sisters were scattered and lived in different places, some with families who had room for one more person. Her skillful adaptation to reality can be noted in an excerpt from a letter she sent to the Superior General in Rome: Dearest Grandmama, I have not written because I thought that my letters would not reach you. Instead, I asked someone who was heading in your direction to tell you all about us. Grandma, by now you know that we have had to change our place of residence. We work wherever we can in order to buy a piece of bread and, thanks to our most wonderful Father, so far we have not experienced want. Hopefully, we will not run short of anything until the end...This year, we have had a very long, hard winter. We recevied word that you were very ill, Grandma, but are feeling better. We rejoice immensely and hope that we will be able to see you soon. We all desire to be united with one another as soon as possible. We have been informed of everyone who has died...and remember them to our fbest Father. The whole family unites with me in warmly embracing you, our dearest Grandma. Stella * * * Sr. M. Imelda (Hedwig) Zak Born in the Austrian sector, Sr. Imelda entered the Congregation at 19. While working in a school conducted by the Congregation, Sr. Imelda continued her own education and in June 1914, she received her license as a certified kindergarten teacher in Lwow, presently known as Lviv in the Ukraine. She had a fantastic sense of humor and could laugh at her own mistakes. One story that she enjoyed telling was the result of a play on words. Prior to her assignment in Novogrodek, when a school inspector arrived one morning, the superior whispered to her as she passed her on the corridor: "Please bring some teach sandwiches (kanapki)." Within a few minuts, Sr. Imelda appeared in the parlor carrying a sofa with the aid of another sisters. Since she thought that Sr. Fides, the superior, had said kanapa, which means 'sofa,' she brought the wrong thing and everyone had a good laugh. Sr. Imelda spent her last years of life as sacristan in the Fara. She was also the organist and instructed the boys who assisted the priest during religious services. They and her former students spoke of her as an excellent teacher. Sr. M. Raymond (Anna) Kukolowicz Sr. Raymond came from the Russian sector, near Vilnius. She was assigned to domestic duties that she readily fulfilled despite suffering from severe arthritis. during the Russian occupation, Sr. Raymond was on of the persons employed to clean the school and she sought to share everything she had with the others. One of the sisters who had lived with Sr. Raymond ovserved that "she shared everything with them, to the last crumb of bread. She was so filled with sisterly love and ... was a perfect example of the word magnanimity." During their last evening prayer together before reporting to the commissariat, Sr. Raymond requested that they sing a joyous hymn to the Birgin Mary entitled Heaven Resounds with Joy. Sr. M. Daniela (Angela) Jozwik Sr. Daniela came from another region of the Russian sector and her parents opted not to send her to school. In Novogrodek, she was responsible for the school kitchenette and the sisters' dining room. Working in the school provided her with the opportunity to be attentive to the needs of the children, especially the poor. "During the main lunch break, Sr. Daniela would walk among the children, noting who who had forgotten to bring their lunch, and then she'd quickly come to their assistance. On the cold winter evenings when the teachers continued working after school, she sould bring them something warm. throughout her entire life, Sr. Daniela practiced an active love for her neighbor." Fr. Zienkiewicz characterized her as "a meek, discreet, guardian angel." Sr. M. Canuta (Josephine) Chrobat Sr. Canuta's story is unique. She was engaged to be married to Stan when on e night in a dream, she heard the directive not to marry him because her bridegroom waiting for her in Grodno (a place wich which she was not familiar) and that he would give her a red dress. Perplexed and misunderstood by everyone, she decided to go on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Praying in the special chapel, she distinctly heard an inner voice instructing her to enter a convent. she had never met a consecreated religious but when she saw two sisters leaving the chapel, she followed them. Upon catching up to them, she told them that she wanted to enter their congregation. They invited her and her mother to accompany them to their convent to meet the superior. During the interview, the superior outlined the steps that were needed to enter a religious congregation and mentioned that [Josephine] would eventually go to Grodno for her novitiate, a period of initial formation. She was stunned to hear "Grodno" and interpreted that as a confirmation of God's will for her. On the day she pronounced her vows, she said, "The dream has been fulfilled, but not entirely. Where is my wedding present? I already have myspouse, but where is my red dress?" From the position of Sr. Canuta in the common grave, it appears that [she] was buried alive, covered in her own blood and the blood of her fellow religious sisters. At that moment, Sr. Canuta would have understood the meaning of the RED DRESS. Sr. M. Sergia (Julia) Rapiej Also from a Russian sector of Poland, Sr. Sergia's parents did not permit her to attend a Russian school. Though her formal education was nonexistent, she entered the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth on Dec. 25, 1922. On Aug. 4, 1925, she was among the group of sisters who left for the United States. She completed her novitiate in Des Plaines, IL, and arrived in South Philadelphia in August 1926, where she fulfilled domestic services in the convent. However, most of her time was spent right here in Torresdale. I had an opportunity to speak with two of our elderly sisters who had very vivid recollections of Sr. Sergia that almost verbatim matched the testimony of the Novogrodek witnesses who spoke of her virtuous life centered on God and love of others. [She] felt the need to return to Poland and when she was offered that opportunity, she expressed herself to one sister in almost prophetic terms. sister stated: She was convinced that She has nothign else to give our Lord for his great love than to want to give him her life. She is not afraid of martydom. [Later], when Sr. Malgorzata and her friends went into the woods, and Sr. Malgorzata began to dig in the area of the fresh mound, the object that she hit was Sr. Sergia's leg, for she pulled up a piece of clothing marked with [Sr. Sergia's] identification. Thus, the location of the burial of the sisters was confirmed. Sr. M. Gwidona (Helen) Cierpka If Sr. Gwidona were alive today, she would be considered an environmentalist. Her love of everyone and all creation was evident. The farm and garden were her responsibility. In the spring of 1943, a neighbor sent his son with horse and plow to help her till the earth in preparation for planting. While speaking with the young man, Sr. Gwidona petted the mare and then chided him for making the horse sweat. Acknowledging her concern, but needing to vent his displasure about the town adminostror, [the young man] Alex informed sister that the fine heifer she had set aside for a needy family had been sent to a butcher in a neighboring village. The youth continued: sister turned away so that I could not see her pained reaction. Her piglets had also disappeared ... (suddenly) I noticed a tall, overgrown mound. I saw a horrible sight underneath it. The melting snow revealed the body of a young 20-year-old Jewish man. He had been executed and never buried because the snow had covered his body. Looking at this savage Nazi calling card, I became furious. After [the young man] finished his tirade, Sr. Gridona said: Listen, I understand everything (that you're saying) ... I don't know who will gather the harvest from this field. But of one thing I am certain, and that is that the land needs to be looked after. We need to do this for the good of the soil. Under those conditions, no environmentalist could have spoken morer eloquently in defense of God's creation. Sr. M. Felicita (Pauline) Borowik At the age of 27, Sr. Felicita entered the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Her mother had died when she was only nine days old. Reared by an extended family, she was quiet and shy while growing up on a farm. Even though she had been diagnosed with a serious heart condition, she kept as busy as a bee. "During the Russian occupation, she had been ired to clean the school that had been taken away from the sisters. The heartbreaking changes in the school, along with the difficult ... hostile conditions" placed immense stress upon her. One townsperson had recalled hearing her say: How the weight of the Cross draws one closer to God! Alex Zwierko's observation of Sr. Felicita is worth quoting: She was a frail flower that seemed to step aside for everyone ... She was meek and upright, never sought even the smallest gratification ... Always accommodating and very grateful to the Congregation for the opportunity to live in Nazareth, (she) was frequently absorbed in prayer ... and the Cross was her only love. She was fervently attracted by this love. Sr. M. Heliodora (Leocardia) Matuszewska In contrast, Sr. Heliodora lived up to the underlying Greek meaning of her name and displayed a very sunny disposition. She was energetic, industrious, agile and talented. Whatever she undertook produced positive results. Mothers of the school children would frequently chat with her because she had such an uplifting personality. She possessed a healing balm that was definitely divine joy, which radiated from her upon her environment. During the Russian occupation, the Soviet director of the school indicated that he would allow the sisters to be present in the school if one of the sisters became his housekeeper. He personally selected Sr. heliodora. By her example, she was instrumental in bringing about the conversion of the atheist director and his wife to Catholicism and had been requested to instruct their son int he teachings of the Catholic church. As the Nazi forces pushed the Soviets into retreat, the director entrusted his valuables to [Sr. Heliodora] for safekeeping. The people of Novogrodek cherished her legacy of quick wit, joy-filled love and memories of children hugging her and laughing as the hid within the folds of her wide habit. As with all the sisters, her faith-filled prayer life was the source of her very being as she shared the message of our foundress, Frances Siedliska, with everyone whose life she touched. Sr. M. Canisia (Eugenia) Mackiewicz Moving on to reflecting on Sr. Canisia, whose father had been an officer in the Imperial Czarist Army, we learn that she came from a very pious family. When she was 14 years old, her mother died. Although she was interested in becoming a religious, she decided to remain with her father and became a certified teacher in a school. Her brother became a priest and ministered as an army chaplain and catechist. She and her brother were "soul mates." With the death of her brother from meningitis in 1933, she decided to seek admission to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. As a teacher, she was known to be zealous and dedicated. She had high expectations of the children and still higher ones for herself. She had a liver condition and often suffered ... but never missed a lesson and would never accept a substitute. During the Soviet occupation, she was hired to teach in the public school and to march with the children during propaganda demonstrations. While walking with the children, she prayed for them. Dressed as a civilian, [Sr. Canisia's] identiy as a member of a religious order was not conspicuous. when higher authorities began to supect her, she excaped to Grodno where, under an assumed identity, she remained until the Russians were forced to retreat. During the German occupation, back in Novogrodek, she taugh children in their family homes. She instructed the children in the Polish language and mathematics, and as a catechist, she prepared them for the reception of the sacraments in the Catholic tradition. Byelorussian Nazi sympathizers reported her activities to the German authorities. Sr. M. Boromea (Veronica) Narmontowicz The youngest sister to die was Sr. Boromea. Coming from a picturesque region near Grodno where people had their unique lifestyle, Sr. Boromea experienced some difficulty in accepting routine domestic assignments. Moreover, as the youngest in a community experiencing untold challenges brough on by the war, her sensitive nature was often revealed in her tear-filled eyes. Aware of her struggle the superiors agreeds to her parents' request for her to return to her family home. Her stay was brief because she desired to return to the Novogrodek community. Sensing her need for more time away from the community, Sr. Stella arranged for her to reside with a family only six kilometers away from the convent. Again, her stay was a short one and upon her return to the convent, she wrote to one sister: Something urged me to return to the Sisters. Alex Zwierko keenly concluded: Sr. Boromea consistently formed her God-given, delicate and sensitive nature toward an ever greater level of maturity and fidelity. The Love of the Holy Family of Nazareth captivated her. And it was that love, and no other, that prepared her to make the most beautiful evangelical sacrifice. *** In her Diary, Ann Frank left us a glimpse of her hidden life before the Gestapo brought it to an abrupt, untimely end. Our 11 sisters did not leave a written account, but their lives spoke volumes. I've been able to give you a glimps into the lives of my sisters by quoting words of people who were convinced that they survived World War II because these sisters offered their lives for them and continue to look after them. Situated in the direct path of the Chernobyl fallout, Novogrodek expected devastating consequences. However, scientists who studied soil and other samples found no contaminants. Informed of the scientific findings, the townsfolk spontaneously responded that their sisters were still protecting them. Remember Isaiah's words: In the Lord shall be the vindication and the glory of all the descendents of Israel. May each of us here present be courageous enough to let our lives witness to our faith in a loving God. of all
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