Marceli Godlewski (1865–1945)
Marceli Godlewski (born January 15, 1865 in Turczyn, died December 25, 1945 in Anin) was a Polish Catholic priest, prelate, social activist, and National Democratic politician[1]. From 1915 until his death in 1945, he served as parish priest of All Saints Parish in Warsaw[2]. In 2009, he was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for his charitable work and assistance to Jews during World War II[3]. Godlewski was a recipient of the papal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award and, already during World War II, was an important figure in Warsaw's social life[4].
Childhood
Marceli Godlewski was born on January 15, 1865, in Turczyn (Łomża Province) as the son of Katarzyna née Kuczyńska and Ignacy Godlewski[5]. He was baptized on January 22 of that year in the parish of Rajgród[6]. He spent his childhood in his hometown, where he received his early education: he graduated from elementary school in Szczuczyn and then from middle school in Suwałki[7]. Between 1881 and 1886, he continued his education at the seminary in Sejny in the Suwałki region[8]. After completing his studies, he was ordained a priest (in 1888) and began working as a vicar in the parish of Nowogród near Łomża[9]. In 1891, he served as a substitute in Czermin (Poznań Province), and then went to Rome to continue his studies. He returned from the capital of the Church in 1893, having obtained a doctorate in theology[10]. After his return, he worked as a curate in Jedwabne in the Diocese of Łomża[11].
In 1894, Godlewski was transferred to the Archdiocese of Warsaw[12]. At first, he remained for a short time as a vicar in the parish of Szymanów (northern Mazovia), and then served for a year and a half in the parish of St. Cross in Łódź[13]. Even as a young priest, he was involved in social activities – he conducted religious teachings aimed at the working class and gave catechesis in new brotherhoods established at the church. He drew inspiration from Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum and the charitable models of pre-war Greater Poland[14]. In his sermons, he appealed for help for poor workers and encouraged participation in cooperatives and relief funds for employees. Soon after moving to Warsaw, he emerged as a pastor involved in the self-organization of working-class youth and books on social issues intended for the working classes[15].
Mature Years
In 1896, Godlewski was transferred to Warsaw, where from 1897 to 1902 he lectured on Church history, theology, and biblical archaeology at the local theological seminary [16]. At the same time, he became involved in numerous social initiatives. He organized workers' and cultural associations – among others, he co-founded the Association of Christian Workers as an institution bringing together Catholic employees[17]. In the pages of his own publications (e.g., the weekly Pracownica Polska for women), Godlewski promoted the slogan "swój do swego po swoje" (“each to his own for his own”) as a way to bypass Jewish middlemen in trade and support native entrepreneurs[18]. He also established Catholic trade unions and mutual aid and loan funds for workers, which – in his view – were meant to protect Catholics from the usurious practices of foreign merchants[19].
Initially, Godlewski was also known for his anti-Jewish views – he warned against the influence of the “Jewish-Prussian command” and openly attacked “Jewish usury” in his public speeches[20]. Over time, however – especially after Poland regained independence – he gradually limited his nationwide activities. From 1914 to 1917, he was a member of the Polish National Committee[21], and in the interwar period, he focused on his work in Warsaw. In the 1930s, he became politically involved with the National Democracy movement – in 1930, he joined the leadership of the National Party[22]. Despite his earlier antisemitic views, his work increasingly centered on parish matters and the local community. In 1915, he took charge of the All Saints parish at Grzybowski Square in Warsaw, which he led until the end of his life[23]. In this historic church – located in the very heart of the city – crowds of faithful from the poorest districts of the capital would gather.
Context of Rescuing Jews
The Warsaw Ghetto was established in October 1940, enclosing around 450,000 Jews from Warsaw – it was the largest ghetto in occupied Europe[24]. The Church of All Saints, which had been led by Fr. Godlewski since 1915, was located within the ghetto[25]. Before the war, his parish encompassed around 153,000 residents (divided by the wall), including a large community of Catholics of Jewish origin: around 5,000 baptized Jews and around 2,000 Catholics of Jewish descent belonged to this parish[26][27]. Among the baptized parishioners were renowned scientists and politicians of Jewish origin – including Prof. Ludwik Hirszfeld, a professor of medicine, as well as the family of the creator of Esperanto, Ludwik Zamenhof[28]. Before the war broke out, Godlewski was widely seen as a National Democracy activist and an antisemite, as even his former supporters pointed out[29]. However, the situation in the ghetto changed the context of many Poles’ actions – including that of Prelate Godlewski – toward the rescue of endangered Jews.
Description of Rescuing Jews
During the occupation, Fr. Godlewski did not abandon his parish. Together with vicar Antoni Czarnecki, he organized aid in the parish and rectory for starving Jewish Catholics and non-Catholics. A joint soup kitchen operated at the parish, serving around 100 hot meals daily to those in need[30]. The priests used passes that allowed them to leave the ghetto and exchange information – thanks to this, food, medicine, and letters with vital escape instructions were smuggled into the ghetto[31].
One of the key elements of the aid effort was the provision of false identity documents. The parish office, under Fr. Godlewski’s supervision, issued hundreds of forged baptismal certificates, giving Jews a chance to survive on the “Aryan side” of the wall[32]. As a result, many converts found shelter outside the ghetto. More than a hundred people of Jewish origin hid within the parish – including Hirszfeld, lawyer Mieczysław Ettinger, journalist Jerzy Nisenson, theatre director Seweryn Majde, and the family of Ludwik Zamenhof[33].
Fr. Godlewski also supported Jewish children. He allowed the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary to run an orphanage in his home in Anin, keeping only one room for himself[34]. Around 20 Jewish children lived in the orphanage and survived the war thanks to the nuns' care[35]. In July 1942, during the major liquidation operation of the ghetto, most Jews from the parish were deported to Treblinka[36]. The Germans then ordered the priests to leave the ghetto, so Fr. Godlewski returned to Anin and continued helping, supporting the sisters running the orphanage.
Survivors’ testimonies emphasize how much Jewish Catholics in Warsaw owed to his sacrifice. Prof. Ludwik Hirszfeld recalled Fr. Godlewski as follows: “When I recall his name, I am overwhelmed with emotion. Passion and love in one soul. Once a militant antisemite […], but he devoted all the fervor of his priestly heart to the Jews”[37]. Many stressed that their lives were saved thanks to his actions. There are even testimonies that the priest hid Jewish children in the folds of his cassock and personally took part in smuggling weapons to the fighting ghetto[38].
Godlewski's later fate
After the ghetto's liquidation in July 1942, Fr. Godlewski came under direct German control. The Germans took away his pass, so he had to leave the former ghetto area. He went to Anin, where he actively assisted the Franciscan Sisters in running the orphanage[39]. In December 1945, just after the end of the war, he issued an appeal for the reconstruction of the Church of All Saints, which had been destroyed during the uprising[40]. Marceli Godlewski died on December 25, 1945, in his home in Anin, at the age of 80[41]. He was buried at Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw, in the tomb for retired priests[42].
Context of Being Awarded the Title “Righteous Among the Nations”
Godlewski is one of the few Polish National Democracy activists awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations. The Yad Vashem Institute honored him with the medal in 2009[43]. The context of this award is tied to his acts of heroism, documented by witnesses – his sacrifice in rescuing Jews despite enormous personal risk and previous prejudices. Godlewski’s actions gained the recognition of historians and descendants of survivors. His figure is often cited as an example of the complex nature of Polish-Jewish relations in the 20th century[44]. Today, his memory is commemorated, among other ways, through an exhibit at the POLIN Museum and a memorial plaque in the Church of All Saints – on the grounds of the former ghetto where he served[45]. His story shows that even a person with former prejudices can, in the face of tragedy, awaken deep empathy and devotion to another human being.
Footnotes
[1][2][4][21][42] Marceli Godlewski; https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marceli_Godlewski
[3][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][20][26][33][40][44] 160 lat temu urodził się Marceli Godlewski, ksiądz katolicki, proboszcz warszawskiego getta; https://dzieje.pl/wiadomosci/160-lat-temu-urodzil-sie-marceli-godlewski-ksiadz-katolicki-proboszcz-warszawskiego
[18][19][22][23][34][35][36][38][39][41][43] Marceli Godlewski. Ksiądz po tamtej stronie muru; https://www.jhi.pl/artykuly/marceli-godlewski-ksiadz-po-tamtej-stronie-muru,84
[24][25] The Polish priest whose “House of Life” saved a thousand Jewish lives; https://aleteia.org/2017/06/09/the-polish-priest-whose-house-of-life-saved-a-thousand-jewish-lives/
[27][28][29][37][45] Historia pomocy - Godlewski Marceli; https://sprawiedliwi.org.pl/historie-pomocy/historia-pomocy-godlewski-marceli
[30][31][32] Marceli Godlewski. Priest on that side of the wall; https://www.jhi.pl/en/articles/marceli-godlewski-priest-on-that-side-of-the-wall,84
External links
Marceli Godlewski; https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marceli_Godlewski
160 lat temu urodził się Marceli Godlewski, ksiądz katolicki, proboszcz warszawskiego getta; https://dzieje.pl/wiadomosci/160-lat-temu-urodzil-sie-marceli-godlewski-ksiadz-katolicki-proboszcz-warszawskiego
Marceli Godlewski. Ksiądz po tamtej stronie muru; https://www.jhi.pl/artykuly/marceli-godlewski-ksiadz-po-tamtej-stronie-muru,84
The Polish priest whose “House of Life” saved a thousand Jewish lives; https://aleteia.org/2017/06/09/the-polish-priest-whose-house-of-life-saved-a-thousand-jewish-lives/
Historia pomocy - Godlewski Marceli; https://sprawiedliwi.org.pl/historie-pomocy/historia-pomocy-godlewski-marceli
Marceli Godlewski. Priest on that side of the wall; https://www.jhi.pl/en/articles/marceli-godlewski-priest-on-that-side-of-the-wall,84
Illustration sources
