Omelyan Kovch

Omeljan Kowtsch , Polish Emilian Kowcz , scientific transliteration Omeljan Kovč (born August 20, 1884 in Kosmatsch , Austria-Hungary , † March 25, 1944 in Lublin , Poland ) was a Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest and Christian martyr . He is venerated as a blessed in the Roman and Greek Catholic Churches .

Life

Omeljan Kowtsch was born in 1884 near the present-day Ukrainian city of Kosiv , formerly part of the historical region of Galicia , now part of the Ivano-Frankivsk region.

Coming from a Ukrainian family and a denominational Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Kowtsch decided to become a Greek Catholic priest. Kowtsch completed his studies in Catholic theology as a candidate for the priesthood in Lemberg and Rome at the "College of St. Bakchos and Sergios ".

After successfully completing his studies, Kovch returned to Ukraine, married and had six children. The solemn ordination took place in 1911. From 1922 onwards, Kowtsch was pastorally active in what is now the Ukrainian city of Peremyshlyany for over twenty years . Kowtsch also looked after the emigrated Greek-Catholic Ukrainians from the areas of the former Yugoslavia as a pastor .

In addition to his pastoral care in Peremyschljan, he looked after the poor , orphans and youth groups of various faiths in the predominantly Jewish town and invited them to his home. During the time of the German occupation, in the so-called " Reichskommissariat Ukraine ", Omeljan Kowtsch tried to save as many Jews as possible from death by baptism . However, the Nazis recognized his charity , his efforts and forbade him to provide any further assistance. Kovch continued undaunted to help.

In December 1942, Kowtsch was arrested by the Gestapo in Lemberg. During his interrogation he was asked by a Gestapo officer:

"Don't you know that it is forbidden to baptize Jews?"

"I didn't know anything."

"Do you know now?"

"Yes."

"Will you continue to do it?"

"Naturally."

In August 1943, Kowtsch was taken to the Majdanek concentration camp , which was located in the Polish city of Lublin. He celebrated the Holy Liturgy with the prisoners and was a confessor . Personal letters to his relatives indicate that he did not ask for his release, but rather to stay with his fellow prisoners in the concentration camp in order to help them. A letter to his children says:

“Except for the sky , it's the only place I wish to be. Here we are all the same: Poles , Jews, Ukrainians , Russians . I am the only priest and when I celebrate the Holy Liturgy , they pray for everyone, each in their own language. Doesn't God understand every language? ... "

“Fifty prisoners were executed yesterday. If I weren't here who would help them endure a moment like this? What more could I ask of God? Don't worry about me. Cheer with me! "

Omeljan Kowtsch was murdered in the gas chamber in the Majdanek concentration camp on March 25, 1944 , and his body was cremated .

Afterlife

On September 9, 1999, the Jewish Council of Ukraine awarded Omelyan Kovch the title of Righteous of Ukraine . On 24 April 2001 Kowtsch was Pope John Paul II. In Rome beatified . The canonization of Omeljan Kovtsch was announced on June 27, 2001 by Pope John Paul II during his trip abroad , which took place from June 23, 2001 to June 27, 2001 in Ukraine . In autumn 2008, the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church declared Omelyan Kowtsch the patron saint of Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests .

Web links

• biography
• Biography (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} "saints.sqpn.com" ( Memento of the original from January 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed August 22, 2009