Julia Rodzińska

Julia Rodzińska was born on 16 March 1899 in Nawojowa. She was one of five children of the organist Michał and Marianna née Sekuła.[1] Rodzińska orphaned at the age of ten and became a ward of the Dominican Sisters convent in Nawojowa.[2] There she finished school and then started her studies in the Teachers' Seminar in Nowy Sącz but didn't complete them because she began her religious formation in Wielowieś.[3] At the age of 17, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Dominika in Tarnobrzeg-Wielowieś and there (5 August 1924) made her religious vows and completed her interrupted education.[4]

As a qualified teacher, she carried out her ministry in Mielżyn, Rawa Ruska and Vilnius (from 13 December 1922, for 22 years).[5] From 1934, she was the head of a house in Vilnius and ran an orphanage.[1] After the outbreak of World War II, she secretly taught Polish language, history and religion, and conducted humanitarian activities.[6] On 12 July 1943, Rodzińska was jailed by the Gestapo in Łukiszki prison in Vilnius.[7] In a year, Rodzińska was sent to German concentration camp Stutthof, registered as number 40992.[8] There she was subjected to torture, isolation and humiliation.[5]

Rodzińska died of exhaustion and disease on 20 February 1945 in Stutthof, two months before the concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army.[9] Her beatification process began on 26 January 1992.[10] In 1999, she was proclaimed blessed by Pope John Paul II in a group of 108 blessed martyrs.[11][12]

Rodzińska is the patron of the primary school Blessed Julia Rodzińska in Nawojowa[13] and kindergarten of Blessed Julia Rodzińska in Poznań. In 2019, on the occasion of 120th anniversary of Rodzińska's birthday her family home in Nawojowa was open for visitors.[14]