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In Poland, preparations are underway for the beatification of Father Stanisław Streich, a parish priest murdered at the altar in 1938. This event is among the first beatifications under Pope Leo XIV. Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, will preside over the ceremony in Poznań on May 24. Father Streich is recognized as a martyr killed "in odium fidei," meaning "in hatred of the faith."
Father Streich was born in 1902 and studied classical philology. He was known for his intellectual curiosity and gentle nature but chose to serve in Luboń, an industrial village near Poznań. Ordained in 1925, he initiated the construction of a church where he ultimately lost his life.
On February 27, 1938, during a Sunday morning Mass for children, Father Streich was shot by a radical communist during the consecration of the Eucharist. His murder shocked Poland and drew approximately 20,000 mourners to his funeral.
"Father Streich was no celebrity cleric," said Father Wojciech Mueller, postulator of his canonization cause. "He was a priest who was a builder... He worked with factory workers, the poor, the unemployed — he was building not only a church but a community."
"For decades, the story of Father Streich was passed down in secret in Luboń," explained Father Maciej Szczepaniak from the Archdiocese of Poznań. Despite years of communist persecution following World War II, Father Streich's underground cult remained active.
The formal process for his beatification began with its diocesan phase in 2017. By its conclusion in 2019, over 3,500 pages of documentation were collected and included testimonies from five living eyewitnesses.
In May 2024, Vatican authorities confirmed that Father Streich died "in odium fidei," paving the way for his beatification this month.
Retired Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki described the upcoming beatification as "an extraordinary sign of hope for the church." He compared Father Streich to Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko and praised him for remaining faithful to his calling even at great personal cost.
"We need saints who knew how to reconcile people," stated Father Mueller. "Father Streich had that spirit — he could unify very different social groups for a greater good."
Father Szczepaniak added: “Today we need people of courage... Blessed Father Stanisław Streich will teach us compassion for others and bravery to do what is right.”
Katarzyna Szalajko reports from Warsaw for OSV News.
