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Conventual
Franciscan friar, priest
(1909-1941)
Ludwik
Bartosik was born on August 21st, 1909, at Kokanin, near Kalisz. He was the
firstborn of Wojciech, shoemaker, and Wiktoria Tomczyk. His parents were very
poor. Thanks to the efforts of the family, of the acquaintances and of the
parish priest of the village, the young Ludwik was so well intellectually
prepared that he could begin his studies in the gymnasium "Tadeusz
Kosciuszko" of Kalisz. Here, he attended the classes of the inferior
gymnasium.
In 1926 he was accepted in the Conventual Franciscan Order. He began his
noviciate on September 7th, 1926, at Kalwaria Paclawska, near Przemyl, and at
Pagiewniki, near Lódz. He received the name Pius. On September 8th, 1927, he
pronounced his temporary vows.
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He
started his studies again in the Franciscan minor seminary, at first at
Sanok and then in Leopoli, crowning them in 1931 with the school leaving
certificate. Afterwards, he began to study philosophy and theology in the
major seminary of Krakow, were the Bishop, Msgr. Stanislaw Rospond,
ordained him priest on June 23rd, 1935.
His first destination was the convent of Krosno, where he distinguished
himself for his devotion and especially for his thoughtful ministry in the
confessional. In August 1936 he was moved to Niepokalanów, by explicit
request of Father Maximilian Kolbe, just elected guardian of that convent,
after six years of mission in Japan. Perceiving in Father Pius a lot of
spiritual and intellectual qualities, Father Kolbe entrusted him with many
tasks of responsibility, appointing him editor of the monthly reviews
Rycerz Niepokalanej (Knight of the Immaculata, 1936-39), Rycerzyk
Niepokalanej (Young Knight of the Immaculata, 1937-38) and the quarterly
review in Latin Miles Imaculatae (1938-39). Father Bartosik wrote many
articles and a book with a Marian theme, which remained in type.
The friars remember Father Pius as a thoughtful priest, who spent a lot of
time in the confessional, and treated his collaborators with extraordinary
kindness and respect.
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MARTYRDOM
On
September 19th, 1939, together with saint Maximilian Kolbe and about forty
brethren, the Germans imprisoned him and he spent nearly three months in
the concentration camps of Lamsdorf, Amtitz and Ostrzeszów. He patiently
bore hunger and sufferings, repeating: "Until now we wrote and told
someone else how to bear suffering, now it is our turn to get over all
this, otherwise what value could our words have?"
On February 17th, 1941, he was arrested for the second time, together with
Father Maximilian Kolbe, Father Antonin Bajewski and other two friars, and
taken to Warsaw in the Pawiak prison, where he patiently bore every
oppression. During Holy Week, on April 4th, 1941, he was transported with
Father Antonin to Oswiecim (Auchwitz), where he was registered with the
number 12832. At the beginning, he was assigned to building works.
Afterwards, because of his bodily breakdown, due to strokes, a skin
infection and a painful injury to the leg, he was sent to the hospital of
the 'lager' (barrack). There, with extreme dedication he helped the other
patients, he cleaned their wounds, he assisted them both bodily and
spiritually, above all with the sacrament of penance. He repeated:
"The sufferings of this moment can't be compared with the future
glory, with the future happiness that we are going to have near God, in
Heaven".
Father Pius, notwithstanding his hard bodily sufferings, patiently bore
the situation that he was compelled to undergo. He died, after receiving
the extreme unction by Don Konrad Szweda, in the night between the 12th
and 13th December 1941. "So died the editor of the Rycerz
Niepokalanej, of the Rycerzyk Niepokalanej and of the Miles Imaculatae, a
militiaman of the Immaculata and an authentic apostle of the suffering, as
he was called in the concentration camp. He got over the most terrible
torments with heroic patience, following the example of the divine Master
Jesus Christ, crucified for our salvation. "Blessed are they that
suffer, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven!" with these words, ends
the testimony of Don Konrad Szweda, ex-prisoner of Oswiecim and Dachau.
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