Mother of 'Solidarity priest' dies aged 93
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
20.11.2013 09:22
Marianna Popiełuszko, the mother of the murdered Solidarity priest, Jerzy Popieluszko, has died in a hospital in Białystok.
Archive photo taken on 07.06.2013 of Marianna Popiełuszko in Torun: photo - PAP/Tytus Żmijewski
She lived in the village of Okopy, in the north-eastern region of Podlasie.
Following the death of her husband in 2002, she lived with the family of one of her three sons. Regular assistance was also offered to her by activists of the local Solidarity branch. She had five children, four sons and a daughter who died as a small child.
In a book on the life of Marianna Popiełuszko published earlier this year, Milana Kindziuk describes her as a woman of hard work, deep faith and constant prayer.
The murder of her son in 1984 by communist secret police officers was an experience which she was able to endure, as Kindziuk writes, "only thanks to identifying herself with the suffering of the Mother of God, who also lost her Son".
She looked at all events in her life and her son’s martyr’s death through the light of faith and has forgiven the murderers of her son.
She frequently visited his grave in Warsaw, where she was met by Pope John Paul II and the presidents and prime ministers from many countries. (mk/pg)