Stefan Wyszyński marked on 125th birth anniversary

Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, born on 3 August 1901 in Zuzela near the Bug River, is being commemorated for his 125th birthday. Major celebrations are taking place at the parish church of the Transfiguration in Zuzela, which serves as a diocesan sanctuary dedicated to the blessed cardinal. 2026 marks several milestones in his life, including the 70th anniversary of the Jasna Góra “Vows of the Polish Nation,” the 80th anniversary of his episcopal ordination, the 45th anniversary of his death, and the 5th anniversary of his beatification, which occurred on 12 September 2021 in Warsaw.

Wyszyński served as Bishop of Lublin from 1946, became Archbishop‑Metropolitan of Gniezno and Warsaw and Primate of Poland in 1948, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1952 after a delayed consistory. He endured imprisonment by the communist authorities from 1953 to 1956 in several facilities, including Rywałd and Stoczek. His pastoral initiatives, such as the Great Prayer before the Millennium of Polish Baptism and the Jasna Góra vows, left a lasting imprint on Polish religious and national identity.