''This article is based on a translation of the article at Polish wikipedia by User Mathiasrex and others.'' JKRUK 20080423 KONIEMLOTY TABLICA KS KOTLARZA DSC00977

JKRUK 20080423 KONIEMLOTY TABLICA KS KOTLARZA DSC00977

Roman Kotlarz (born 17 October 1928 in Koniemłoty near Staszow, died 18 August 1976 in

Radom, Poland Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been the seat of a separate Radom Voivodeship (1975–1 ...

) was a Polish Catholic priest and an activist of the democratic opposition in the days of

Polish communism Communism in Poland can trace its origins to the late 19th century: the Marxist First Proletariat party was founded in 1882. Rosa Luxemburg (1871–1919) of the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania (''Socjaldemokracja Królest ...

and the People’s Republic of Poland (PRP). During the June 1976 protests in Poland he gave a blessing and support to the striking workers and protesters. He was beaten severely by police on several occasions. He died under mysterious circumstances later that year. He was honored posthumously by many leaders including president Lech Kaczyński. He has also been given the

Servant of God "Servant of God" is a title used in the Catholic Church to indicate that an individual is on the first step toward possible canonization as a saint. Terminology The expression "servant of God" appears nine times in the Bible, the first five in th ...

designation.

Biography

He was born in Koniemłoty near Staszów, as the youngest of six children to Szczepan and Waleria. After finishing elementary school he attended high school in Staszów. After graduating he entered the seminary. He was ordained May 30, 1954. He was vicar in the parishes of:

Szydłowiec Szydłowiec (; Hebrew: שידלוביץ, Yiddish: שידלאָווצע; German: ''Schiedlowietz'') is a town in Szydłowiec County, Mazovian Voivodeship, south-central Poland, with 5,243 inhabitants (December 31, 2005). It is the seat of Gmina ...

Żarnów Żarnów is a historical village in Opoczno County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Żarnów. It lies approximately south-west of Opoczno and south-east of the regional capita ...

, Koprzywnica,

Mirzec Mirzec is a village in Starachowice County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship The Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, also known as the Świętokrzyskie Province, and the Holy Cross Voivodeship ( pl, województwo świętokrzyskie ) is a voivodeship (p ...

Kunów Kunów is a town in Ostrowiec County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,153 inhabitants (2004). It lies in Lesser Poland, on the Kamienna river, northwest of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. Kunów was granted Magdeburg rights in 1365, str ...

and

Nowa Słupia Nowa Słupia is a town in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Nowa Słupia. It lies approximately east of the regional capital Kielce. The to ...

. From 26 August 1961 he was the pastor of the parish Lady of Czestochowa in Pelagowie near Radom. He was under constant observation of the surveillance officers and secret collaborators of Służba Bezpieczeństwa, the PRP's Secret Police. During the June 1976 protests he supported the strikers at Metal Works "Bowman" in Radom. He was also at the Holy Trinity Church in Radom blessing protesting workers during demonstrations. After the brutal suppression of the protesters by the troops he prayed together with the faithful for the beaten, arrested and fired workers. In his sermons he demanded respect for the human being, and denounced falsehood and injustice. He was subjected to repression by the

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

authorities. On several occasions, was brutally beaten by officers of the Służba Bezpieczeństwa. According to Jan Jozef Lipski, a cleaning woman found him beaten unconscious in his own apartment. She told the Regional Psychiatric Hospital Health Care in Krychnowice, but he was declared dead on arrival. The communist authorities banned the priest from being buried in the cemetery of Radom. His funeral, held on 20 August 1976, turned into a patriotic manifestation. He was buried in Koniemłoty. In 1990, the president of Poland in exile Ryszard Kaczorowski posthumously honored him with

Cross of Merit with Swords The Cross of Merit with Swords () is a Polish military award established October 19, 1942, by the Polish Government in Exile. Criteria The Cross of Merit with Swords is awarded for deeds of bravery and valor during time of war not connected with ...

for "sacrifice of life in the struggle with the Communists for an independent Poland." On 3 May 2009 he was posthumously awarded by President Lech Kaczyński's Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

References

Bibliography

In Polish
Nota biograficzna na stronie Katolickiej Agencji Informacyjn
(Catholic Information Agency)

(Gazeta.pl portal, part of Agora SA)
Szczepan Kowalik, ''Tajemnica śmierci ks. Romana Kotlarza'', opoka.org.pl
website repost of "Mystery death of Fr. Roman Kotlarza" by Stephen Kowalik, from "Our Official" (http://www.naszdziennik.pl/) issue 47 (2760) on 24–25 February 2007
Rafał Staszewski, ''Męczennik z Koniemłotów'', Tygodnik Katolicki Niedziela, Edycja sandomierska, 34/2006
(Catholic Weekly "Sunday" (Niedziela)) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kotlarz, Roman 1928 births 1976 deaths People from Staszów County Polish democracy activists Szydłowiec 20th-century Polish Roman Catholic priests Polish human rights activists Polish Servants of God Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta Polish dissidents