Natalia Tułasiewicz
Encyclopedia
Natalia Tułasiewicz was a teacher in Poznań
, Poland
and a leader in the Catholic
lay apostolate. A member of the Polish Underground State, she died in the Ravensbrück concentration camp
, in a gas chamber. Tułasiewicz was beatified in 1999 as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War Two
.
on 9 April 1906. She moved with her family to Poznań in 1921, where upon graduating from the Poznań University she worked as a teacher, and was a leader in the lay apostolate.
During the occupation of Poland
, her family was among the many Polish families who were dispossessed by the Germans after annexation of Poznań
; thrown out of their homes with only a few hours notice. She was involved in the underground education in Kraków
and was a member of the Polish Underground State. In 1943 she volunteered to leave for the Third Reich together with other women who were forced to perform heavy work, to give them spiritual comfort. When the Germans found out about her secret mission, she was arrested, tortured, and condemned to death in the Ravensbrück concentration camp
. On Good Friday
1945, she climbed a stool in the barracks and spoke to the prisoners on the passion and resurrection of Jesus. Two days later, on Easter Sunday, 31 March, she died in a gas chamber
. The concentration camp was liberated two days later.
Natalia Tułasiewicz is one of the only two lay women among the 108 Martyrs of World War Two
, beatified on 13 June 1999 by Pope John Paul II
.
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
and a leader in the Catholic
Roman Catholicism in Poland
Ever since Poland officially adopted Latin Christianity in 966, the Catholic Church has played an important religious, cultural and political role in the country....
lay apostolate. A member of the Polish Underground State, she died in the Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück was a notorious women's concentration camp during World War II, located in northern Germany, 90 km north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück ....
, in a gas chamber. Tułasiewicz was beatified in 1999 as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War Two
108 Martyrs of World War Two
The 108 Martyrs of World War II, known also as 108 Blessed Polish Martyrs , were Roman Catholics from Poland killed during World War II by the Nazis....
.
Biography
Natalia Tułasiewicz was born in RzeszówRzeszów
Rzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley...
on 9 April 1906. She moved with her family to Poznań in 1921, where upon graduating from the Poznań University she worked as a teacher, and was a leader in the lay apostolate.
During the occupation of Poland
Occupation of Poland
Occupation of Poland may refer to:* Partitions of Poland * The German Government General of Warsaw and the Austrian Military Government of Lublin during World War I* Occupation of Poland during World War II...
, her family was among the many Polish families who were dispossessed by the Germans after annexation of Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
; thrown out of their homes with only a few hours notice. She was involved in the underground education in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and was a member of the Polish Underground State. In 1943 she volunteered to leave for the Third Reich together with other women who were forced to perform heavy work, to give them spiritual comfort. When the Germans found out about her secret mission, she was arrested, tortured, and condemned to death in the Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück was a notorious women's concentration camp during World War II, located in northern Germany, 90 km north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück ....
. On Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
1945, she climbed a stool in the barracks and spoke to the prisoners on the passion and resurrection of Jesus. Two days later, on Easter Sunday, 31 March, she died in a gas chamber
Gas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
. The concentration camp was liberated two days later.
Natalia Tułasiewicz is one of the only two lay women among the 108 Martyrs of World War Two
108 Martyrs of World War Two
The 108 Martyrs of World War II, known also as 108 Blessed Polish Martyrs , were Roman Catholics from Poland killed during World War II by the Nazis....
, beatified on 13 June 1999 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 ...
.
Further reading
- Bł. Natalia Tułasiewicz, Przeciw barbarzynstwu – Listy, Dzienniki, wspomnienia. Wydawnictwo "M", Kraków 2003.
- Natalia Tułasiewicz, Byc poetka zycia. Zapiski z lat 1938–1943. Wydawnictwo Wydziału Teologicznego UAM, Poznan, 2006.