Blessed Stefan Wyszyński

Biography

Blessed Elzbieta Róza Czacka, also known as Mother Elzbieta, was born on October 22, 1876, in Biala Cerkiew, Ukraine. She was the youngest of four children born into an aristocratic family. When Elzbieta was six years old, her family moved from Ukraine to Warsaw, Poland in 1882.

Elzbieta received an excellent education, both secular and religious. However, her eyesight began to deteriorate, and by 1898, at the young age of 22, she had become completely blind. Despite this challenge, she remained steadfast in her faith and devoted herself to prayer and discerning her vocation.

In her prayers, Elzbieta felt called to help and teach the blind. With a group of like-minded friends and co-workers, she co-founded a shelter and school for blind girls in 1909. This initiative aimed to assist the blind in living fuller lives and gaining independence.

During a visit to the Ukraine in 1915 for a family member's First Communion, World War I broke out, preventing Elzbieta from returning to Warsaw. It was during this time that she was exposed to Franciscan spirituality and in 1916, she became a Franciscan tertiary, taking the name Elzbieta.

After finally returning to Warsaw in 1918, Elzbieta resumed her work with the neglected blind and formalized her group of co-workers into the Franciscan Sisters Servants of the Cross. In 1922, the congregation received formal approval. A generous supporter gifted Elzbieta with land in Laski, Poland, where she established an institute and school for the blind. This location also became the motherhouse of the Sisters.

In 1937, Elzbieta received support from Pope Pius XI, which greatly aided the mission of the Sisters. However, during World War II, the institute was converted into a hospital, and the Sisters served as nurses on the frontlines.

Tragically, the institute was destroyed, and Elzbieta was injured during a bombing in Warsaw. Undeterred, the Sisters continued their mission and actively supported the Polish partisans in their resistance against the Nazis. Elzbieta also collaborated closely with Blessed Stefan Wyszyński during this time.

After the war ended, the Sisters refocused on their primary mission of serving the blind. Elzbieta led the congregation until 1947, when, at the age of 70, she retired from leadership. In 1948, she suffered a stroke, which marked the beginning of a slow decline in her health. Despite her physical limitations, Elzbieta spent her remaining 13 years in prayer, contemplation, and providing any service she could offer.

Blessed Elzbieta Róza Czacka passed away on May 15, 1961, in Laski, Poland, after several years of complications from a cerebral hemorrhage she suffered in 1948. Her selfless dedication to the blind and her unwavering faith inspired many. On October 9, 2017, Pope Francis declared her venerable, recognizing her heroic virtues. Then, on September 12, 2021, she was beatified by Pope Francis in a ceremony held in Warsaw, Poland. The beatification miracle involved the remarkable healing of a seven-year-old girl in Warsaw who had been in a coma with severe cranial and brain damage from an accident. The Sisters and the family sought Mother Elzbieta's intercession from the moment of the accident.