Józef Cebula
Encyclopedia
Blessed Józef Cebula was a Polish priest of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
(OMI).
Born on 23 March 1902 into a modest family, he suffered tuberculosis
as a youth and was declared incurable at first; but after his recovery, he went to an Oblate shrine and shared his story with Father Jan Pawolik, O.M.I. He was taught in a minor seminary from 1923 to 1931, and ordained as a priest on 5 June 1927 while still in a seminary. Father Cebula became a superior on the Oblate seminaries in 1931, and became novice master at Markowice
in 1937. 2 years later, when the Germans occupied Poland, they declared loyalty to the Church illegal. On 4 May 1940, the Oblate novices at Markowice were arrested by the Nazis and sent to the concentration camp at Dachau
in Upper Bavaria
, Germany
. However, Father Cebula continued to minister as a priest in secret despite the ban on it, until he was arrested on 2 April 1941. 16 days later, he was taken to a concentration camp
at Mauthausen
in Austria
and was harassed and forced to work hard. 3 weeks later, on 9 May, Father Cebula suddenly summoned up his strength and said, "It is not you who are in charge. God will judge you." The Nazis ordered him to run with a rock on his back, towards the camp's barbed wire fence, where a guard shot him to death with a submachine gun and declared that Father Cebula "was shot while trying to escape". His body was taken to a crematorium and burned to ashes.
He was beatified
by Pope John Paul II
on 13 June 1999 as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War II.
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
(OMI).
Born on 23 March 1902 into a modest family, he suffered tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
as a youth and was declared incurable at first; but after his recovery, he went to an Oblate shrine and shared his story with Father Jan Pawolik, O.M.I. He was taught in a minor seminary from 1923 to 1931, and ordained as a priest on 5 June 1927 while still in a seminary. Father Cebula became a superior on the Oblate seminaries in 1931, and became novice master at Markowice
Markowice
Markowice may refer to the following places:*Markowice, Greater Poland Voivodeship *Markowice, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Markowice, Silesian Voivodeship...
in 1937. 2 years later, when the Germans occupied Poland, they declared loyalty to the Church illegal. On 4 May 1940, the Oblate novices at Markowice were arrested by the Nazis and sent to the concentration camp at Dachau
Dachau
Dachau is a town in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town—a Große Kreisstadt—of the administrative region of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich. It is now a popular residential area for people working in Munich with roughly 40,000 inhabitants...
in Upper Bavaria
Upper Bavaria
Upper Bavaria is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany.- Geography :Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered around the city of Munich. It is subdivided into four regions : Ingolstadt, Munich, Bayerisches Oberland , and Südostoberbayern...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. However, Father Cebula continued to minister as a priest in secret despite the ban on it, until he was arrested on 2 April 1941. 16 days later, he was taken to a concentration camp
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Mauthausen Concentration Camp grew to become a large group of Nazi concentration camps that was built around the villages of Mauthausen and Gusen in Upper Austria, roughly east of the city of Linz.Initially a single camp at Mauthausen, it expanded over time and by the summer of 1940, the...
at Mauthausen
Mauthausen
Mauthausen is a small market town in Upper Austria, Austria. It is located at about 20 kilometers east of the city of Linz, and has a population of 4,850 .During World War II, it became the site of the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp complex....
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and was harassed and forced to work hard. 3 weeks later, on 9 May, Father Cebula suddenly summoned up his strength and said, "It is not you who are in charge. God will judge you." The Nazis ordered him to run with a rock on his back, towards the camp's barbed wire fence, where a guard shot him to death with a submachine gun and declared that Father Cebula "was shot while trying to escape". His body was taken to a crematorium and burned to ashes.
He was beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on 13 June 1999 as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War II.