THE DON BOSCO
SACRED HEART
ASSOCIATION

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REMEMBERED UNTI THE END OF TIME?

SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO
PO BOX 640009
San Francisco, CA 94109

	Phone: (415) 441-7144
	FAX: (415) 563-5394
	e-mail: SWhelan930@aol.com

June Beatification
of Salesian Priest and five Students

On Sunday, June 13, Pope John Paul II beatified a total of 108 martyrs from the Second World War, most of whom died in the prison camps of Auschwitz and Dachau. These martyrs include a Salesian priest from Cracow, Poland, Fr. Joseph Kowalski, SDB, who was killed at Auschwitz on July 3, 1942. Just one month later, at another prison camp, five young members of the Salesian Oratory of Poznan were guillotined, after a long period of trial and suffering for their faith—the oldest of the five was only 23, the youngest 20.

Young people who are fully open to the simple but profound style of Salesian holiness have already shown themselves capable of heroic holiness, as in the case of young Dominic Savio and Laura Vicuņa; the beatification of these six new representatives of such holiness become proof of the extent to which this holiness can go.

Each of the new Blesseds has left a brief but telling written phrase for the world to ponder. Fr. Joseph had written his long before he was called to live it to the point of death: "I will never say ‘that’s enough’." Each of the five boys was given an opportunity to write something just before being beheaded. What was written reflects the joyful depth of faith each had achieved: "Do not cry—we are happy." "I thank God I was born in the Catholic faith—it gives me strength to overcome everything." "What happiness it is to leave this world united with Christ." "Dear mom and dad, do not be sad. In heaven I shall be your intercessor in God’s presence." "God has given us the cross, and also the strength to carry it."