Blessed Ladislao Bukowinski

Biography

Blessed Ladislao Bukowinski, also known as Vladislav Bukovinskij and Wladyslaw Bukowinski, was born on 22 December 1904 in Berdychiv, Zhytomyr, Ukraine. He was one of three children born to Jozef Tsypriyan Bukowinski and Vladislav Jadwiga Schipo del Campo. At the age of four days, he was baptized and later became a naturalized Polish citizen.

Blessed Ladislao Bukowinski pursued his education at Jagiellonian University, studying law and theology. On 28 June 1931, he was ordained as a priest in the diocese of Krakow, Poland. From 1931 to 1935, he served as a vicar and catechist in Rabka, followed by his appointment as an assistant pastor and catechist in Sucha-Beskidzka from 1935 to 1936.

In 1936, he was assigned to Luck, Volhynia, where he worked extensively with Polish immigrants and prisoners, including both criminal and political prisoners. During his time in Luck, he taught sociology and catechism at the major seminary and became the director of the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences. He also served as the deputy editor of The Catholic Life. In 1938, he assumed the role of General Secretary of Catholic Action in the diocese.

When World War II broke out in September 1939, Blessed Ladislao Bukowinski was appointed as the parish priest at the cathedral of Luck. Despite the dark circumstances of the war, he remained a calm and spiritually unwavering presence, admired for his intelligence, education, and piety.

Tragically, on 22 August 1940, he was arrested by the NKVD (Communist secret police) and sentenced to eight years of hard labor for the supposed crime of being a priest in a Communist-controlled area and for his vocal defense of religious freedom. Initially, he was even sentenced to death when the NKVD began executing prisoners. However, his release was unexpectedly granted when the German army overran the area.

Upon regaining his freedom, Blessed Ladislao Bukowinski resumed his pastoral work, which now extended to protecting Jewish children by hiding them with Catholic families. However, his courageous efforts on behalf of others did not go unnoticed, and he faced another arrest by the NKVD on the night of 3 January 1945. He endured over a year of imprisonment before being sentenced once again to hard labor. This time, he was sent to the mines in modern Karaganda, Kazakhstan.

Throughout his time in prison, Blessed Ladislao Bukowinski continued to minister to his fellow prisoners, offering them solace, support, and spiritual guidance. He spent several challenging years in the gulag until his release in 1955. However, even after obtaining his freedom, he was restricted to exile in Kazakhstan and became a Soviet citizen in June of that year.

In a great injustice, Blessed Ladislao Bukowinski was arrested once again in 1957, solely for the crime of being a priest. He received a three-year sentence in a labor camp. Finally, in December 1961, he was released, and without hesitation, he returned to his work as a parish priest and missionary in a Muslim land, undeterred by the hardships he had endured.

Blessed Ladislao Bukowinski dedicated the remainder of his life to the service of God and his fellow believers. He ministered with great devotion and selflessness, spreading the message of Christ among those who had not yet heard it. Tragically, he passed away on 3 December 1974 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, of natural causes.

In 2008, his relics were enshrined in the cathedral of Karaganda, and on 22 January 2015, Pope Francis recognized the heroic virtues of Blessed Ladislao Bukowinski through a decree. On 11 September 2016, he was beatified by Pope Francis, and the beatification recognition was celebrated in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato.

Blessed Ladislao Bukowinski's life serves as a testament to his unwavering faith, resilience, and commitment to serving God and his fellow human beings, even in the face of immense adversity. He remains an inspiration for all who seek to live out their faith with courage and love.