Poland: Entire family to be beatified

Source: Vatican News/Polish Bishops Conference

History will be made in the small Polish village of Markova this Sunday, 10 September, when an entire family will be beatified together. Josef and Viktoria Ulma, their six children, and baby they were expecting were executed by the Nazis in 1944 for hiding eight Jews in their small home.

The Ulma family led an ordinary life before the Second World War. Josef worked in the fields, while Viktoria managed their home and cared for their six children and another on the way. Through their simple daily routines, they exemplified the teachings of the Gospel. Family prayers, shared faith education, and Bible readings turned their household into what Pope John Paul II termed a "domestic Church," extending their warmth and support even to the most vulnerable members of society, including Jews who faced immense danger.

Journalist Manuela Tulli, in collaboration with historian Father Paweł Rytel-Andrianik, uncovered the Ulma family's story, and together they published a book entitled 'Martyred and Blessed Together: The Extraordinary Story of the Ulma Family'.

During a trip to Ukraine, Tulli first heard about the family who had shared their two roomed home with eight Jews seeking refuge.

During her research Tulli discovered the family Bible, which had one word underlined: 'Samaritan' accompanied by a resounding 'yes.' This choice epitomized their commitment to aiding others, a commitment that persisted amidst a world fraught with violence and division.

Captured in numerous photographs taken by Josef Ulma, an amateur photographer, their industrious and harmonious life stood in stark contrast to the chaos of the war years.

Tragedy struck on 24 March 1944 when the Ulmas were denounced and betrayed. Nazi forces stormed their home, and their attic, where they had concealed their Jewish friends, became a site of horror. Josef and Viktoria were executed in front of their children. Viktoria was seven months pregnant. Then the eight Jewish people and the Ulma children were killed before the house was set ablaze.

Father Paweł Rytel-Andrianik described the atrocity as a "Jewish-Christian martyrdom."

The family were recognised as Righteous among the Nations by the State of Israel on 13 September 1995. Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, likened this exceptional case to a "Baptism of Blood," echoing the tragic narrative of the Holy Innocents.

The Ulmas are an example for every family to live the Gospel day by day. They are also an example for every Christian to share love with every human being," said Archbishop Stanislaw Gądecki, President of the Polish Bishops' Conference.

"The beatification of the Ulma Family is a great joy for the Church in Poland... The Ulmas are an example for every family to live the Gospel day by day. They are also an example for every Christian to share love with every human being."

Watch a documentary (with English translation) about the Ulma family on Polonia TV: https://polonia.tvp.pl/72483512/premiera-filmu-dokumentalnego-tvp-polonia-przykazanie-milosci-historia-rodziny-ulmow-z-markowej