The Eleven Martyrs of Nowogrodek

They were filled with a burning love for Jesus and His holy Mother

Religious Sisters have vowed their lives to God for many centuries. We should remember that these women, young and filled with a burning love for Jesus and His holy Mother, are not thinking of dying for their faith. They wanted to serve their Lord by helping the sick, poverty-stricken, homeless, uneducated, blind, and deaf. They just wanted to give whatever might be needed to help others, no matter the need. When professing their vows, they are not expecting martyrdom to be how their service to Jesus will end. The Sisters in this story were no different than all the many others who had become before them. They just wanted to serve. That is what they were doing when asked to give their all for others. Meet Sister Stella and her ten companions,

 On September 4, 1929, two Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth arrived in the small town of Nowogrodek, Poland, to begin their ministry. They were there to serve the small town's people, especially the children. They had little money, and most townspeople did not want them there. Talk within the order’s hierarchy quickly elevated to discussions about withdrawing the sisters  from the town. But Bishop Zygmunt Lozinski, who had recruited the Sisters,wanted them to stay. He pleaded with them, “Please, do not leave Nowogrodek. That is not only God’s will; it is mine also.”

“You must remain at your post”

 The superior general, Mother Lauretta Lubowidzka, agreed with the bishop and told the sisters, “You must remain at your post. It is the home of Christ the King, and we must battle for Him. He is to be victorious. You must pray hard and confront any difficulties you encounter. Great things will happen here.”

 The two nuns, Sister Stella Maria and Sister Imelda, stayed behind as asked, and soon other Sisters joined them. A few of the townsfolk did help the sisters find a place to stay, and the nuns began to reach out to the townsfolk immediately. They began teaching the girls religion and French. The Sisters helped take care of the church (called the Fara). At Mass and devotions, parishioners always saw the sisters kneeling in prayer. The townspeople quickly grew to love having the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth as neighbors in Nowogrodek.

Things were peaceful, and the Fara became the town gathering point

The next ten years in Nowogrodek were peaceful. People of varied faiths lived together, worked together, and socialized together without problems. The Fara  became the place for town meetings and for social events. The Sisters' lives focused on prayer, care of the church, teaching, starting new schools, and participating in community events. Then, on September 1, 1939, the Germans invaded Poland. Everything changed.

The Russians had occupied Nowogrodek since 1937 They had removed the sisters from the school, made them leave their convent, and were not allowed to wear their religious habits. They could only come together for Mass and devotions at the Fara. It took less than two years for the Germans to take over at Nowogrodek. When they did, they made the sisters move back to their convent and wear their habits. The treatment they had been receiving was rapidly disintegrating.

The initiation of Operation Reinhard

 In 1942, the Nazi terror in Nowogrodek escalated rapidly. They initiated Operation Reinhard, and the extermination of the Jewish population began. Nowogrodek had approximately 20,000 citizens, and half were Jews. The Nazis murdered over 9500 of them in separate ‘actions” and sent the remaining Jews to slave labor camps. This was followed by a sharp increase in Polish arrests and executions, including priests. Every day, groups of 100 or more seemed to be taken away and exterminated. In July 1943, things took a different turn. The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth got involved.

 On July 18, 1943, more than 120 people were arrested and scheduled for execution. The people of the town, mostly the women, came to the nuns and asked for their prayers to help release their husbands, sons, brothers, and other men.Twelve sisters resided in the convent.That evening they gathered to pray for the imprisoned townsfolk. After praying for hours, the sisters unanimously agreed to offer their lives in sacrifice for the prisoners. Sister Maria Stella, the convent's superior, shared their decision with the local pastor, Father Zienkiewicz, telling him, “My God, if the sacrifice of life is needed, accept it from us and spare those who have families. We are praying for this intention.” The priest accepted their decision.

Almost immediately, orders were changed.

Almost immediately, the plans for the prisoner's executions were changed to “deportation to work camps in Germany.” Some of the men were even released. When the life of Father Zienkiewicz was threatened the sisters stepped up and renewed their offer. Sister Maria Stella told those in charge that “there is a greater need for one priest on this earth than for us. We pray that God will let us take his place.”

The sisters were made to remain in the convent. They continued to fortify each other and pray. Then, without warning, on July 31, 1943, the entire community was summoned to the local Gestapo station where. they were held overnight. At dawn on August 1, they were loaded into a truck and driven out of the town and far into the woods. Before leaving the Gestapo station Sister Stella asked if one of them might stay behind. Sister Maria Banas was a nurse who worked in the hospital and could care for the church and the pastor. Plus, she always wore civilian clothing , and was not as noticeable. The Gestapo commander agreed.

They all were led over to a pre-dug open pit.

Upon arrival at the place of execution, the nuns were helped from the truck bed and walked over to a pre-dug open pit. One at a time, they were shot to death, and their bodies fell into the pit. It is hard to imagine what was going through their minds as they watched each other die. They were women of great faith, and that faith is what united them in an overwhelming spiritual joy as they each waited for their bullet.

They were buried together and the site was kept secret. Sister Maria Banas finally located the gravesite and tended to it as best she could. She did this until her passing in 1966. Today, the Church of the Transfiguration (known as Biala Fara or White Church) contains the remains of the eleven Sisters of Nowogrodek.

The beatification process for the sisters was begun on Sptember 18, 1991 and on June 28, 1999, Pope John Paul II confirmed that the Sisters  had indeed died as martyrs along with 33 others. The Holy Father formally beatified them on March 5, 2000.

 Copyright©Larry Peterson 2023