Folia Historica Cracoviensia (Dec 2020)
Sermons of Dominican Marcin Bronisław Chrostowski Delivered during World War II
Abstract
The aim of the article is to familiarize the reader with sermons delivered during World War II by Marcin Chrostowski OP, chaplain of the Polish Armed Forces in the West. Father Chrostowski’s legacy of sermons, stored in the Archive of the Polish Province of the Dominican Order, is an interesting supplement to information we currently hold on his service as chaplain of the Polish Armed Forces. The sermons reflect the spirit of his times and also present the morale of the military. Studying them allows us to capture moral attitudes preached to soldiers. This edition contains sermons delivered in Great Britain (Scotland), the USSR (where Fr. Chrostowski accompanied the field bishop during his official visit with the Polish forces), Iraq, the Holy Land, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the Reich. To date, these sermons have not been commonly known, although selected passages were published in Chrostowski’s printed biography (see H. Gallus, E. Mikołajczak, Ojciec Marcin Chrostowski, Poznań 2001). The remaining texts have yet not been analyzed by researchers. Father Marcin Chrostowski volunteered for the army in France, where he was staying at the outbreak of the war. Later, he became chaplain of the Polish Armed Forces in the West – in France and Great Britain, secretary of Field Bishop Gawlina, with whom he travelled to the USSR. After his service in the Holy Land, he was transferred to Great Britain, where he joined the ranks of General Maczek’s 1st Armored Division. As chaplain of the 9th Rifle Battalion, he followed the battle trail from “Maczuga” to Wilhelmshaven. Notably, he was rewarded for his heroism during the hostilities at Baarle Nassan with the War Order of Virtuti Militari.
Keywords
