(ANS – Tarnowskie Góry) – On Sunday 28 June 2026, at the Salesian Educational Centre in Tarnowskie Góry, in the Wrocław Province (PLO), a thanksgiving celebration was held to mark the beatification of the Salesian martyrs, particularly Blessed Fr Ignacy Dobiasz, who was baptised in the nearby church of Toszek, where he had been honoured the previous day, on 27 June, to mark the 85th anniversary of his death at the Auschwitz extermination camp.
The Mass of thanksgiving – during which all the communities, Salesian works and all those inspired by the spirituality of St John Bosco were entrusted to God – was presided over by Bishop Sławomir Oder of the Diocese of Gliwice. The homily, meanwhile, was delivered by Fr Sylwester Jędrzejewski, a Salesian from Krakow and author of various publications dedicated to the blessed martyrs.
In his homily, after speaking generally about all the Salesian martyrs who were beatified on 6 June 2026 in Krakow, Fr Jędrzejewski – taking the local context into account – focused above all on the figure of Fr Ignacy, saying: “For the community gathered at Tarnowskie Góry, the central figure among this group of witnesses is Blessed Father Ignacy Dobiasz, a native of the Toszek and Gliwice region. He was born on 14 January 1880 in Ciochowice. He put into practice the words of the Gospel regarding love for Christ above family ties as early as the age of 14, when he left his native Silesia and set off for Turin – the cradle of the Salesian charism. After his studies in Italy, he was ordained a priest in 1908, whilst at the same time obtaining a degree in agronomy.”
He then went on to describe his distinctive traits: “theologian and pastor – he possessed exceptional knowledge in the field of moral theology, which he taught at the Salesian Theological Institute, translating it into quiet pastoral practice; meek and obedient – he was characterised by profound humility and absolute obedience; a priest with ‘smiling eyes’ – as a priest who was always on the move, he won over even the most rebellious young people with his evangelical simplicity; a dispenser of Mercy – the sacrament of penance became his most important mission. In the confessional at Dębniki, in Kraków, he would spend hours on end, distinguished by his understanding and boundless patience. Enjoying the trust of his parishioners, on 21 February 1941 he led the funeral procession of Karol Wojtyła senior, father of the future Pope.”
And so he summed up this characteristic: “Father Ignacy Dobiasz – humble formator and martyr of the confessional. Having grown up at the very heart of the Turin charism, he combined extraordinary theological knowledge with evangelical simplicity and meekness. His Salesian heart, full of patience and kindness, won over both rebellious young people and the crowds of penitents at Dębniki, in Kraków. The prophecy of courage, which he himself taught, was fulfilled in the hell of the Auschwitz concentration camp. He died just one day after his arrival at the camp. Right up to the very end, the finest Salesian virtues shone forth in him: total self-denial and heroic love for one’s enemies, expressed in the words of forgiveness whispered to his tormentors before his last breath. Even in the face of brutal torture and a martyr’s death, Fr Ignacy shone with priestly virtues right to the end, whispering forgiveness to his tormentors. His sacrifice, together with that of his confreres, stands as an eternal model of boundless pastoral love. He was the ‘Good Shepherd’ of the Gospel.”
After Holy Mass, a communal celebration took place in a family-like and Salesian atmosphere, which allowed the community—which lives by the joy of the Gospel—to experience this joy even more intensely.
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