On 27 June 1941, Frs Jan Świerc, Ignacy Dobiasz, Franciszek Harazim and Kazimierz Wojciechowski died at the hands of the SS in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz (Poland). These last two Servants of God, specifically, were killed, side by side at the same time. Servant of God Fr Ignacy Antonowicz died three weeks later, on 21 July 1941, as a result of the mistreatment suffered precisely on 27 June 1941. On 5 January 1942, the Servant of God Fr Ludwik Mroczek also died due to torture and numerous surgical operations. A few months later, on 14 May 1942, Fr Karol Golda was shot in the same camp, accused of having administered the sacrament of confession to two German soldiers. On 7 September 1942, the Servant of God Włodzimierz Szembek also died in the Auschwitz camp: in his case too, it was the mistreatment that caused his death. All the Servants of God mentioned belonged to the Saint Hyacinth Province of Krakow, Poland. Servant of God Fr Franciszek Miśka, a member of the Salesian Saint Adalbert Province of Piła, Poland, died in the Dachau concentration camp (Germany) on 30 May 1942, as a result of ill-treatment and torture.
Servants of God Fr Jan Świerc and 8 Companions are wtiness to the fact that just when death seems to have achieved its victory, the real winners are those who suffer for the faith, and were able to participate in an extraordinary way in the Cross of Christ and adhere to its saving plan. Taking up the words of Pope Francis, "the Lord always gives us the strength, he does not fail us. The Lord no longer tests us for what we can tolerate. He is always with us.” This is why the nine Servants of God were able to accept martyrdom supported by the same certainty with which the apostle Paul wrote: "I can do all things in Him who gives me strength" (Cf. Phil 4:13).
This news was received with great joy especially by the Provinces of Krakow and Piła, the Salesian Family of Poland and the Christian communities of origin of the Servants of God. "The martyrdom of these Salesian confreres who have faced persecution and death with fortitude for the name of Jesus" the Postulator General for the Causes of Saints of the Salesian Family, Fr Cameroni said, "is an example for us and they are our intercessors in living our baptism consistently and persevering in faith in the hour of trial and temptation."
