Bl. Joseph Stanek

Bl. Joseph Stanek was a Polish Pallottine priest who ministered to his fellow countrymen during the Second World War. Living in Warsaw, he became a chaplain to the Polish during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. When the Polish began losing the fight to liberate their city, Father Stanek tried to save as many people in the city as possible. He gave up a position on a pontoon leaving the city so that others could live. As he remained, he attempted to contact the Nazis to negotiate a peace in Warsaw. On arriving at their headquarters, he was immediately captured, tortured, and was hanged the very next day. Bl. Joseph Stanek was only 27 when he was martyred.