As early as next May, the Blessed Ones The Catholic Church will be joined by sixteen sisters from the Assembly of the Sisters of St Catherine, who in 1945 were tortured by Red Army soldiers. Let us remember to mention in prayer those and another spiritual sisters who gave their lives during the war in order to stay faithful to Christ and service others.
During planet War II, as many as 102 sisters from the Order of Sisters of St Catherine died, which was founded in 1571 by the Blessed Regina Protmann. any of them gave up their lives in the defence of faith, or in the defence of their promised chastity, others in the service of their fellow men. Many sisters died of beating and abuse by Red Army soldiers, either by being infected with typhus or dysentery in caring for the sick, or from exhaustion and hunger.
Only a fewer weeks ago, the Vatican Congregation for Beatification and Canonization decided that in 31 May 2025 a beatification of 16 Sisters Katarzynaek, who were murdered by Red Army soldiers, would take place in Braniew in Warmia. Their beatification process has continued since 2004.
In early February 1945, Red Army soldiers invaded the monastery of Katarzynaek in Lidzbark Warmiński. They requested a gathering with their supervisor, Sister Sabinella. 1 of the soldiers ripped the veil off the catarist's head and tried to rape her. erstwhile this failed, the Soviets called all the nuns into the monastery dining area and began to bully them.
Aniceta's sister defended herself against the blows, so 1 of the fighters shot her in the stomach. Sabinella and Gebhard's sisters began to pray for the dying. This has even more enraged demon torturers. Red Armyman shot Sister Gebhard right in the heart. She died instantly. Sister Sabinella was shot in the neck. An angry solda grabbed her legs and hit her head against the ground. She died of injuries. The Bolsheviks allowed the faithful to bury the slain nuns only after a fewer days, not in separate graves, but in the mass cavity of death.
Other catarists, whose beatification process was completed, died in Olsztyn (Warmia – Mazury). russian soldiers occupied this city in late January 1945. They did gruesome crimes here. They raped women, murdered patients in a intellectual hospital. Catherine, who serves in the hospital, along with any of the sick, hid from the basements. erstwhile the Bolsheviks went in, they didn't like that Christophor's sister defended the patients. The Red Army attacked her from respective sides. She screamed and defended herself with all her might. However, she had no chance of fighting strong fighters. After a fewer hours, nuns found the body of Sister Christophory, pierced with russian bayonet.
On the another hand, from Gdańsk, Leonis' sister, the Russians tormented and beat. Later, she and another prisoners were rushed on ft to the NKVD camp in Ciechanów, where she stayed for 4 weeks. From here, she was taken to Russia. On June 5, 1945, at the age of 32, she died of starvation and leaching there. In turn Generos' sister was tormented by Red Army men in Olsztyn for many days. erstwhile she was freed, terribly battered and starved, she took up heroic action, took care of typhoid patients who had no 1 to care for. After respective months of service to the sick, she died of exhaustion.
As teachers of religion at the school in Kętrzyn – sister of Adelgard and sister of Ssecondina were tied by the legs to the vehicle and were dragged through the streets of the city until their death. There were besides traces of russian bayonet thrusts on their bodies. Sister Xaveria taught piano and handwork. She worked in Braniewo at a girls' pension. The Soviets arrested her and, along with others, sent her to the cattle wagons for dispatch. An NKWD officer entered 1 of the bus stops and attempted to rape Sister Xaveria. erstwhile she began to defend herself violently, he threw her to the ground, beating her belly and legs with a butt. She died during transport.
In 2020, the bodies of six martyrs Catherineek found and exhumed the IPN Search and recognition Office Team. 2 weeks ago, in the Gdańsk branch of the IPN, Sister Angela Krupińska and St. Patrycja Paśko, the Superior of the Order of Sisters of St. Catherine in Braniewo, received items found at catarists tortured by red-armists. Among these items is simply a cross, fragments of a rosary, a metallic button and a comb fragment. Now they're relics.
The Soviets failed to annihilate the Assembly of Sisters of St Catherine. Angela Krupińska, author of a book devoted to martyrs wrote. "Though they have died, they have won in this fight." present Katarzynas work and preach the Gospel worldwide: in Europe (in Poland, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, Italy, Germany), South America (Brazil), Africa (Togo).
Adam Białous
