Stanisław Kostka Starowieyski

"Stanisław Kostka Maria Gerard Franciszek de Hieronymo Biberstein Starowieyski"[1] was born on May 11, 1895, in Ustrobna, as the third child of Stanisław Jan and Amelia née Łubieńska.[2] His father was a member of the Diet of Galicia and Lodomeria, the Imperial Council, the Legislative Sejm (1919–1922) and owned estates in Bratkówka and Korabniki. The family was from noble origin, related to the Bibersteins.[3]

Former Starowieyski's manor in Bratkówka

He spent his early childhood in the domestic estate of Bratkówka.[3] The Starowieyskis were strongly attached to the Catholic Church and led many social activities in the Catholic community,[4] inspired in this way by the reforms launched at the time by Pope Pius X.[5] Like his other siblings, he got his first education by tutors at home in Krosno. Later, residing in Bratkówka, young Stanisław studied as a private citizen in Sanok, at the "C.K. Gimnazjum" ("Imperial and Royal Gymnasium"), today's Primary School No. 8 Sophia of Halshany: he completed there grades 1 to 3 in 1905-1908.[6]

In 1910, he moved to the Jesuit College in Khyriv, where in 1914 he finished the 8th grade and passed his final exam.[7] In this institution he joined the Roman Catholic society Sodality of Our Lady.[3]

After graduating from high school, Starowieyski started law studies at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, but he had to interrupt them because of the outbreak of World War I.[3]

On September 15, 1914, he was mobilized into the Austro-Hungarian Army and sent to the officer school. Graduated on June 28, 1915, he moved to a field artillery regiment on the Eastern Front in Russia, where he took part in the battles for Lwów and Przemyśl. On March 3, 1918, he was transferred to the Italian front and fight the Battle of the Piave River.[3]

Stanisław returned to the re-born Poland on November 1, 1918, and joined the Army. As a second lieutenant, he participated to the Polish Army build-up in Kraków. He took part in the Polish-Ukrainian War as a battery commander: he fought near Przemyśl and at the Lwów Citadel during the defense of the city.

In June 1919, Starowieyski contributed to the formation of the 9th Light Artillery Regiment in Rembertów: as a lieutenant in this unit, he participated in the Polish-Soviet War, the Kiev offensive (1920) and the Battle of Warsaw (1920) from December 1919 to August 1920.[3] For his heroic acts on the battlefield during the Kiev offensive, he was awarded the Cross of Valor and the Silver Cross of the War Order of Virtuti Militari, conferred by General Władysław Sikorski.[2]

In the aftermath of the fights, Starowieyski became seriously ill with dysentery and barely escaped with his life after a long stay in a military hospital in Zambrów. He was promoted to the rank of captain but he kept traces of the disease for his entire life, suffering from legs blood clots.[3] In July 1921, he was demobilized and transferred to the reserve: he was confirmed in the rank of captain of the artillery reserve with seniority on June 1, 1919.[8] In 1923 and 1924, he served during reserve duty periods as an officer of the 9th Field Artillery Regiment in Biała Podlaska.[8]

Former Szeptycki's manor in Łaszczów

On August 24, 1921, Stanisław married in Łabunie Maria Szeptycka (1894–1976): the union was blessed by his godfather, Father Franciszek Starowieyski. The young couple set up in the estate of Łaszczów,[2] which was owned by Aleksander Szeptycki, Maria's father.[9] The family manor had been completely devastated by the conflicts and they had to live initially in a modest outbuilding.[1] Maria and Stanisław had six children. Although both of them came from wealthy families, they did not intend to rebuild the burnt residence, recognizing that in the face of widespread poverty, the funds should be invested so that they serve the family and the indigent. As the family grew, this outbuilding was gradually transformed into a residential building.[1]

He did not resumed law studies, but completed an agricultural course.[3] At that time, the couple was giving to charity and was very active locally:[3]

• supporting financially the education of lay Catholics;
• organizing and hosting retreats;
• establishing a "Neighborhood Advice Circle" (Polish: Koło Porad Sąsiedzkich), a theater hall for stage amateurs;
• organizing a local branch of the Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej and their conventions. In September 1934, he co-organized the diocesan Eucharistic Congress in Chełm.

"Izba Pamięci" in Labunie

Starowieyski was especially active within the Akcja Katolicka group: from 1932 he was the vice-president then president (1935) of the Diocesan Institute of the Lublin branch. In this position, he wrote numerous papers, participated in ceremonies, retreats, conventions, courses and pilgrimages. In 1937, he took part in the International Congress in honor of "Christ the King" (Polish: Międzynarodowy Kongres Chrystusa-Króla) in Poznań.[10] On his way back to Łaszczów, he stopped at Niepokalanów, where he met Father Maksymilian Kolbe.[4] In recognition of his dynamism and activism within the Catholic Church, Pope Pius XI entitled him the title of Papal Chamberlain in 1934.[9]

Tombstone of Bl. Stanislaw Starowiejskiego, Łabunie palace

At the outbreak of the Second World War his house was a refuge for refugees of the Invasion of Poland in September 1939. After the Soviet invasion of Poland on September 17, 1939, Red Army troops moved into the Lublin region: the Starowieyski's manor was plundered by the soviet soldiers and Stanisław and his brother Marian were arrested.

Imprisoned, they escaped during a transport en route to Tomaszów Lubelski. While the soviet troops retreated behind the Bug river, Starowieyski returned to his estate at the end of September 1939.

During the German occupation, he kept giving to charity and supported the Diocesan Curia in Lublin. On June 19, 1940, he was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in the Rotunda Zamość then in the Lublin Castle transformed into a prison.[11]

He was moved afterwards to the Nazi concentration camp of Sachsenhausen, where he received the number 25711 and was placed in block 49. In September 1940, Stanisław was transported to the Dachau concentration camp and quartered in block 23 as prisoner 16532.[3]

In Dachau, he still carried out apostolic activities among his fellow prisoners. However, as a representative of the Polish landed gentry and a Catholic activist, Starowieyski was more severely persecuted and beaten by the camp officers. His health rapidly deteriorated, his legs swelling and prone to bleeding from varicose veins.

He died early in the first hours of the Easter, on Sunday, 13 April 13, 1941.[12]

His ashes were returned in an urn to his family by the camp authorities. They were buried at the Szeptycki family cemetery in the manor of Łabunie, today's the property of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.[9]

Saint Pope John Paul II beatified Stanisław Kostka Starowieyski on June 13, 1999m during a mass in Warsaw, as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War II.[12]

Starowieyski family tree

• Stanisław's grandfather was Stanisław Michał Starowieyski (1815-1895), a landowner, member of the Imperial Council and of the Diet of Galicia and Lodomeria.[17]
• Stanisław's father was Stanisław Jan Starowieyski (1866-1926).[18]
• Stanisław's father-in-law was Aleksander Maria Szeptycki (1866-1940), a landowner and brother of Blessed Klymentiy Sheptytsky, general Stanisław Szeptycki, Andrey Sheptytsky (Metropolitan bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) and Leon, a landowner. Aleksander Maria Szeptycki was tortured to death by the Gestapo on June 19, 1940 in the Rotunda Zamość.

• Zofia Starowieyska-Morstinowa (1891–1966), a Polish essayist and literature critic. Five days after she passed away (July 8, 1966), a mass was said in her intention, celebrated by Archbishop Karol Wojtyła.[19]
• Ludwik (1894-1958), a year older than Stanisław. They went to the same school in 1905-1908.[6] Ludwik married Maria Idalia Dembińska. He was a reserve second lieutenant in the cavalry of the Polish Army.[20]
• Maria (1896-1951), who worked in a school for nurses.[21]
• Marian (1899-1950s), a doctor of law.
• Iza (1902-1927), a law graduate who worked at the "Państwowy Bank Rolny" (English: State Agricultural Bank).[2]

His wife Maria Szeptycka (1894–1976) was the great-granddaughter of Polish poet and author Aleksander Fredro.[3] The couple had six children:[22]

• Ignacy (1922-1994);
• Aleksander (1923–1944), who died during the Warsaw Uprising (nom-de-guerre Oleś);
• Maria (1925-1970), who participated in the Warsaw Uprising (nom-de-guerre Mysłowska);
• Stanisław (1927-1959) who participated in the Warsaw Uprising (nom-de-guerre Rak);
• Elżbieta (born 1929-1930);
• Andrzej (1931-2013) who participated in the Warsaw Uprising.

• Nephews
  • Marek Starowieyski (born 1937), a Polish Catholic priest, prelate. Professor in theology, he wrote many publications on ancient Christianity and patrology.[23]
  • Franciszek Starowieyski (1930-2009), a Polish graphic designer.[18]
• Grandchild
  • Małgorzata Starowieyska (1953-2006), aka Mao Star, was a Polish painter, performer, stage designer and choreographer.[24]