We had the honor of designing and creating a reliquary for the relics of Blessed Stanisław Starowieyski for the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw. We were approached directly by Catholic Action, whose patron is Starowieyski. Through this project, we had the opportunity to meet this extraordinary person.
Who was Stanisław Starowieyski?
Stanisław Kostka Starowieyski was born in 1895 in Ustrobna, Southeastern Poland. His parents’ involvement in local Catholic and social life shaped Stanisław’s character and influenced his later involvement in this field.
However, his parents not only nurtured the boy’s faith but also his education. Their dream for his future was to study law. Initially, his education took place at home (with the help of home teachers). He continued his studies at The Jesuit College in Khyriv (Chyrów). His faith was built and strengthened both in his Catholic home and at school.
In 1914, he began studying law at the Jagiellonian University. Because World War I began that same year, he did not complete his studies but enlisted in the army.
A Time of Marriage and Prayer
In 1921, he married Maria Szeptycka and moved into his in-laws’ estate. He completed an agricultural course so he could manage the estate. The couple had six children. Family was very important to Stanisław. They ate meals and prayed together. The children remembered their father praying on the knees and receiving Holy Communion daily…
Social Activities
Stanisław and Maria’s home was a center of social activities. Stanisław gathered landowners, teachers, and young people there for retreats led by, Father Jan Piwowarczyk, Father Jacek Woroniecki OP and Father Jan Rostworowski SJ.
He founded Clubs of Catholic Intelligentsia. In 1935, he became president of the Diocesan Institute of Catholic Action in Lublin. He organized pilgrimages and encouraged people to become actively involved in Catholic groups. He also paid attention to the problems of Polish countryside. It is also worth mentioning that he did not forget the poorest people. He was organizing charitable activities and was actively participating in them. He carried out his work with God and people in mind.
Wartime
During World War II, Starowieyski was arrested and deported to the Dachau concentration camp. As a Catholic and a social activist, he was particularly persecuted there. However, even in the difficult prison conditions, he did not forget about his family. Whenever he had the opportunity, he sent letters home. One of his fellow prisoners converted under his influence.
Death and Beatification Process
When Stanisław arrived in Dachau, his health was already in poor condition. Exhausted by illness and battered, he died on the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday (April 12/13) in 1941. If you leave the camp, visit my family in Łaszczów and tell them that I died on this holy day, on which Christ died… – these were some of his last words, spoken to a fellow prisoner on Good Friday.
When news of his death spread throughout the camp, all the prisoners stood up and took off their hats. On June 13, 1999, Starowieyski was beatified as one of the 108 Polish Martyrs by Pope John Paul II. The ceremony took place in Warsaw.
Reliquary for the Relics of Blessed Stanisław Starowieyski
During designing the reliquary, we had to consider the most important element – a place for the relic, which was a rosary cross on which the blessed man prayed. Therefore, the reliquary is a figure of the blessed with a large cross at chest level. This cross also serves as a container for the relics. Below the cross, we placed the letters “AK,” recalling the Catholic Action movement. We also carved the Blessed’s camp number on the base of the reliquary.
Introduction of the Relics of Blessed Stanisław Starowieyski
The ceremony of introducing the relics of Blessed Stanisław Starowieyski to the Temple of Divine Providence took place on October 18, 2025. The homily during Holy Mass was delivered by Father Prof. Marek Starowieyski, the Blessed’s cousin. A large group of members and supporters of Catholic Action from all over Poland attended the Mass.
Below you can see an episode from the ceremony of introducing the relics of Blessed Stanisław Starowieyski to the Temple of Divine Providence:
Prayers for the intercession of the Blessed
On the website of the Parish of Saints Peter and Paul in Łaszczów (the second location, after the Temple of Divine Providence, where the relics of Blessed Stanisław Starowieyski are kept), you can find several prayers for his intercession:
Parish of Saints Peter and Paul Saints Peter and Paul in Łaszczów.
In conclusion, it’s worth watching…
The biographies of the saints describe how pious they were, how peaceful they were, how they fasted, what virtues they possessed… Stanisław, by no means, held any promise of becoming a great saint in the classical style… says Stanisław’s nephew, Father Professor Marek Starowieyski, in the documentary “Stanisław Starowieyski. An Ordinary Life – A Holy Life.”
Sources:
Stanisław Starowieyski. An Ordinary Life – A Holy Life. A Trailer.
www.laszczow.zamojskolubaczowska.pl/bl-stanislaw-starowieyski/
www. warszawa.gosc.pl/gal/spis/9463874.Relikwie-bl-Stanislawa-Starowieyskiego-w-Swiatyni-Opatrznosci
www.ak.org.pl/2025/uroczystosc-wprowadzenia-relikwii-bl-stanislawa-starowieyskiego-do-swiatyni-opatrznosci-bozej/
