Blessed Jerzy Kaszyra Biography
Blessed Jerzy Kaszyra Biography, Feast Day, Date of Birth, Country of Birth, Profession, Place of Work, Date of Death, Place of Death, Beatification Date, Canonization Date |
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Date of Birth | 4 April 1904 |
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Country of Birth | Lithuania in Europe |
Matrimony/Holy Orders | Blesseds who were Priests |
Profession | Missionary |
Place of Work | Lithuania |
Date of Death | 18 February 1943 |
Place of Death | Vitebskaya voblasts’, Belarus |
Feast Day | February 18 |
Beatification | Beatified by Pope John Paul II on 13 June 1999 |
Canonization | Canonized by N/A |
Patron Saint of | N/A |
Biography
Blessed Jerzy Kaszyra was raised in an Orthodox family and converted to Roman Catholicism in 1922 when he was still 18 years of age. He then joined the Marians of the Immaculate Conception in 1924 in Druya where he later made his profession on 2 August 1929. Jerzy then studied theology and philosophy in Rome, Italy.
He was later ordained a priest on 20 June 1935. However, in 1938, the authorities ordered Father George to end his pastoral work and moved to the monastery of Rasno in eastern Belarus and continued his evangelism mission. Later in 1940, Soviet authorities in the with their atheist idea chased him out of the monastery.
He did not give up though, instead, he travelled around the area staying in the abandoned monasteries evangelizing.
On 18 February 1943, the Nazis accused him of helping the partisans and other several Catholics where he was locked in a Church basement and was set to fire. Martyr.
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