Godziszewski Antoni (1889–1954)
Antoni Godziszewski (born January 8, 1889 in Reczyce, Łowicz County, died November 1, 1954 in Częstochowa) was a Polish Catholic priest and social activist. Throughout his life, he was associated with the Diocese of Częstochowa – he held positions in the structures of the Częstochowa Curia and was active in charitable organizations. He was a co-founder and guardian of the Social Welfare Home (DPS) run by the Albertine Sisters at 14 Wesoła Street in Częstochowa[1][2]. For his heroic deeds in saving Jews during World War II, he was honored in 2020 with the title of “Righteous Among the Nations” by the Yad Vashem Institute[3].
Childhood and adolescence
Antoni Godziszewski was born to Bartłomiej and Agnieszka (née Kostrzewa)[4]. He grew up in a peasant family, but even as a child he stood out for his diligence and interest in education. In 1900, he began his education at a secondary school in Płock, where he received a thorough humanities education. After a few years, he continued his education at the Seminary in Wrocław, one of the most important centers of clergy formation in Upper Silesia. In 1912, Godziszewski was ordained a priest.[5] As a young priest, he demonstrated enthusiasm and organizational skills. Shortly after his ordination, he began his pastoral ministry in various parishes of the diocese: for several months he was a vicar in Pabianice, then he served in the parish of Piotrków Kujawski, and then briefly in Milejów and Wolbórz.[6] Thanks to this, he gained pastoral and administrative experience.
During his youth, he also developed social interests. He was particularly fond of the Christian ideas of helping the poor and homeless. Under his care, while he was already a vicar, the first charitable initiatives were established. For example, the young priest Godziszewski was involved in the activities of the Charitable Society for Christians in Częstochowa, which had been cooperating with local clergy since its inception in 1898.[7]. He served as vice-president of the Society, which testifies to his growing role in social initiatives.[8]
Adulthood and social activity
Over time, Godziszewski was permanently assigned to the parish in Częstochowa. In 1919, he took on the duties of vicar of the Holy Family Parish on Waszyngton Street[9]. It was there that his strong bond with Częstochowa began, which lasted until the end of his life. In the interwar period, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming, among other things, an advisor to the Diocesan Curia. He led a number of construction projects in Częstochowa: in 1930–1936, he raised funds and supervised the construction of a new church in the Ostatni Grosz housing estate (now Dekabrystów Street), and built a presbytery and a residential building for parish employees[10]. In 1934–1935, he also supervised the construction of a home for retired priests in Częstochowa[11]. Under his management, the Charity Society also undertook the construction of a Night Shelter for Homeless Women at 14 Wesoła Street, which was a pioneering project to help abandoned women[12][13]. Godziszewski supervised this facility as the guardian and director of the Charity Society[14]. He held important positions in social structures: for many years he was a member of the board of the Charitable Society for Christians (later incorporated into the diocesan Caritas) and the Union of Care Institutions and Charitable Associations (Caritas)[15]. In 1937, he became the director of this Union – the head of all charitable organizations in the Diocese of Częstochowa.[16] At the same time, he worked for the Polish Red Cross (local branch in Częstochowa) as an active member, which shows his broad charitable involvement[17]. In the years 1930–1939, he was not only a pastor, but also an influential social activist: he combined the roles of priest, building inspector for church investments, and organizer of aid for the poorest. His construction and welfare efforts from that period, documented in the archives of Częstochowa, confirm his meticulousness and leadership skills[18].
Context of saving Jews
World War II brought dramatic change – the German occupation authorities created a large ghetto in Częstochowa for the local Jewish population. Before the outbreak of the war, many thousands of Jews lived in the city. As early as 1941, the Germans closed off numerous streets and designated the ghetto area, eventually liquidating it in a brutal extermination campaign. During the “Reinhardt” operations, which lasted until the fall of 1942, approximately 40,000 people were deported to the Treblinka extermination camp[19]. The children, elderly, and sick who remained behind were either liquidated or held in parts of the city in the so-called small ghetto[20]. Under such conditions, the life of the Jewish community in Częstochowa was extremely threatened. Despite this, some Poles – especially some clergymen – became involved in saving their Jewish neighbors. Among the clergy of the Częstochowa diocese, there were people who helped Jews in hiding. Historians emphasize that it was Father Antoni Godziszewski who established contact with the Częstochowa ghetto and participated in rescuing its inhabitants. According to researchers, he maintained contact with the ghetto and “took children out of it to appropriate institutions in the city”[21]. Scientific publications emphasize that priests acted as intermediaries between Jews condemned to extermination and Catholic convents, taking children from ghettos to monasteries or other protected places[22]. Godziszewski also used his contacts in the Curia and helped Jews in hiding through auxiliary committees. During the occupation, for example, he belonged to the Social Aid Committee operating in Częstochowa (an organization supporting war victims), which gave him access to channels for transporting food, medicine, and false documents helpful in rescuing the persecuted[23].
Accounts of rescuing Jews by Antoni Godziszewski's
The specific actions taken by Father Godziszewski are known thanks to post-war witness accounts and historical research. One such account is the published testimony of Warsaw lawyer Władysław Kozłowski from 1968, describing his own experiences. According to this document, in the winter of 1942, two Jewish brothers, Teodor and Leopold Szajn, arrived in Częstochowa and took refuge with Fr. Godziszewski just before the liquidation of the ghetto[24]. Godziszewski immediately notified his activist friends and wrote to them asking for support for the siblings. As a result, the Szajn brothers (one of them with a young daughter) were gradually evacuated from Częstochowa. Leopold settled in Warsaw at 11 Mazowiecka Street, and his daughter in a convent in Bielany[25]. This shows that Godziszewski not only provided them with shelter in Częstochowa, but also organized further hiding places in safe locations beyond the reach of the Germans. Kozłowski's account emphasizes that when the Szajnow brothers took refuge with the priest, he “wrote to us asking for help and care”[26]. This shows that he acted as a coordinator – he contacted Jewish-Polish activists in Warsaw to find new hiding places for the family.
In addition to this one-time action, sources report that Godziszewski regularly smuggled Jewish children out of the Częstochowa ghetto. Historical research indicates that, thanks to him, young children sent from the ghetto often ended up in convents or care homes run by Catholic charities[27]. For example, one of the cases described involved the removal of young children from the convent of the Albertine Sisters on Wesoła Street – the nursing home he had established became a temporary shelter for the youngest Jews. Thanks to his contacts, these children obtained false documents (e.g., false baptism certificates) and were placed with Polish families or religious institutions. In this way, at least a dozen people were saved from death – the accounts of survivors and participants in the rescue operations are consistent regarding the role of Father Godziszewski. In summarizing these activities, the institutions noted that it was he who was to “have contacts with the Częstochowa ghetto and take children from there to appropriate institutions in the city[28].”
Post-war fate and spiritual life
After the war, Antoni Godziszewski continued to hold important positions in the Catholic Church in the Recovered Territories and in People's Poland. In the early post-war years, he was, among other things, an advisor to the Diocesan Curia of Częstochowa[29]. In 1951–1953, he headed the Diocesan Art and Construction Commission, giving his opinion on, among other things, plans for the reconstruction and construction of churches after the war damage[30]. He also served as treasurer of the Częstochowa Curia, which made him one of the closest associates of the Bishop of Częstochowa[31]. Although he remained faithful to the Church and continued his social activities (after the war, his passions included photographing monuments and helping retired priests), his situation became difficult after 1953. As a result of pressure from the communist authorities, he was forced to resign from his positions in the Curia[32]. In the last years of his life, he continued to live in Częstochowa, devoting himself to keeping the diocese's registry book and caring for the sick at his workplace. He died on November 1, 1954, in Częstochowa. His funeral was held in a solemn atmosphere, and he was buried in the Kule cemetery (plot 11)[33].
Bestowal of "Righteous Among the Nations" title
The title “Righteous Among the Nations” is awarded by the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Candidates are nominated by survivors or their descendants, who provide historical documentation and witness accounts. In the case of Antoni Godziszewski, these testimonies (including Kozłowski's account) were submitted to Yad Vashem and verified by researchers. As a result, on January 27, 2020, the Yad Vashem Institute officially recognized Antoni Godziszewski as Righteous Among the Nations[34]. His award number in the Yad Vashem registry is 13946[35].
Footnotes
[1][13] DPS Częstochowa – Historia Domu; https://dpsczestochowa.albertynki.pl/nasz-dom/historia-domu/
[2][7][8][12][14][18] O Towarzystwie Dobroczynności dla Chrześcijan w Częstochowie - Gazeta Częstochowska; https://gazetacz.com.pl/o-towarzystwie-dobroczynnosci-dla-chrzescijan-w-czestochowie/
[4][5][6][9][10][11][15][16][17][23][29][30][31][32][33] Encyklopedia Częstochowy - Godziszewski Antoni; https://encyklopedia.czestochowa.pl/hasla/godziszewski-antoni
[19][20] Encyklopedia Częstochowy - Likwidacja getta; https://encyklopedia.czestochowa.pl/hasla/likwidacja-getta
[21][27][28] Polish Clergy & Jewish Rescue: Survivor Testimonies; https://studylib.net/doc/8956845/december-2002
[22] Wartime Rescue of Jews by the Polish Catholic Clergy; https://repozytorium.kul.pl/items/86f916e2-4bcd-4b40-ab19-32dddf8842fc
[24][25][26] Edmund Mazur, Po prostu człowiek: (materiały dotyczące pomocy niesionej Żydom w czasie okupacji hitlerowskiej w Warszawie); https://bazhum.muzhp.pl/media/texts/palestra/1968-tom-12-numer-11131/palestra-r1968-t12-n11131-s65-104.pdf
External links
DPS Częstochowa – Historia Domu; https://dpsczestochowa.albertynki.pl/nasz-dom/historia-domu/
O Towarzystwie Dobroczynności dla Chrześcijan w Częstochowie - Gazeta Częstochowska; https://gazetacz.com.pl/o-towarzystwie-dobroczynnosci-dla-chrzescijan-w-czestochowie/
wwv.yadvashem.org; https://wwv.yadvashem.org/yv/pdf-drupal/poland.pdf
Encyklopedia Częstochowy - Godziszewski Antoni; https://encyklopedia.czestochowa.pl/hasla/godziszewski-antoni
Encyklopedia Częstochowy - Likwidacja getta; https://encyklopedia.czestochowa.pl/hasla/likwidacja-getta
Polish Clergy & Jewish Rescue: Survivor Testimonies; https://studylib.net/doc/8956845/december-2002
Wartime Rescue of Jews by the Polish Catholic Clergy; https://repozytorium.kul.pl/items/86f916e2-4bcd-4b40-ab19-32dddf8842fc
Edmund Mazur, Po prostu człowiek: (materiały dotyczące pomocy niesionej Żydom w czasie okupacji hitlerowskiej w Warszawie); https://bazhum.muzhp.pl/media/texts/palestra/1968-tom-12-numer-11131/palestra-r1968-t12-n11131-s65-104.pdf