Ignacy Posadzy

Servant of God Ignacy Posadzy SChr
Superior General of the Society of Christ Founder of the Missionary Sisters of Christ the King Priest
Born	(1898-02-17)February 17, 1898 Szadłowice
Died	January 17, 1984(1984-01-17) (aged 85) Puszczykowo
Honored in	Catholic Church
Major works	Droga Pielgrzymów Przez tajemniczy Wschód

Ignacy Posadzy SChr (February 17, 1898 – January 17, 1984) was a Polish priest of the Roman Catholic Church. At the direction of August Cardinal Hlond, he co-founded the Society of Christ. He served as Superior General of the Society of Christ from August 22, 1932 to July 5, 1968.^[1] In 1958, he founded the Missionary Sisters of Christ the King.^[2]

During World War II, he was appointed spiritual leader of Polish slave laborers in Nazi Germany.^[3]

Early life[]

Ignacy Posadzy was born on February 17, 1898 in Szadłowice to Jakub and Katarzyna Posadzy. In 1905 he took part in a children's strike, protesting against the attempt to require the use of the German language in religion classes. From 1908 he attended the Jan Kasprowicz gymnasium in Inowrocław. In 1917, after passing the matura, he entered the Catholic Seminary in Poznań.^[1][4]

Seminary Formation[]

During World War I, he continued his studies in Münster and Fulda. It was there that Posadzy first encountered the plight of Polish emigrants. He witnessed the struggles of seasonal workers, particularly those from the Russian partisan of Poland. After the war ended, he completed his studies in the seminaries in Gniezno and Poznań.

Posadzy was ordained a subdeacon on October 10, 1920. On December 5, 1920 he was ordained a deacon. On February 19, 1921 he was ordained a diocesan priest of Archdiocese of Poznań by Bishop Wilhelm Kloske in the Gniezno Cathedral.^[4][1]

Diocesan Priesthood[]

Posadzy soon recognized for his many talents and was given a number of assignments. After ordination he was appointed a parochial vicar at Poznań Fara. In July 1923, Posadzy visited Polish communities in Saxony and Bavaria. In February 1924 he was appointed prefect of the Teacher's Seminary in Poznań. In July 1924 he briefly served as a priest in the Polish community in Hesse. In July 1925, he made a pilgrimage to Rome. In August 1926 he visited the Polish communities in Denmark. In July 1928, he served the Polish community in Romania.

In 1929, at the request of Venerable August Cardinal Hlond, Posadzy traveled across the Atlantic to inspect the Polish emigrant communities located in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. This visitation lasted from May to September 1929.

In May 1930, he attended in the International Eucharistic Congress in Carthage.

In 1930, again at the request of Venerable August Cardinal Hlond, Posadzy made another journey across the Atlantic to once again visit the Polish emigrant communities of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. This visitation lasted longer than the first, from June 1930 to June 1931.

He also served as co-editor of the monthly publications "Biblioteka Kaznodziejska" and "Wiadomości dla Duchowieństwa".^[1][4]

Religious life[]

In 1932, Card. Hlond entrusted Ignacy Posadzy with the establishment of a new religious order, the Society of Christ. Ignacy Posadzy was the order's first novice. After his profession of vows, he became its first Superior General. He served as Superior General of the order until 1968.

Following a suggestion Card. Hlond once gave him, in 1958, he founded another religious order, the Missionary Sisters of Christ the King.

Death and Burial[]

Ignacy Posadzy died on January 17, 1984 in Puszczykowo. He was buried at the Society of Christ's burial plot at the Miłostowo cemetery in Poznań. In 2007, his body was exhumed as part of the ongoing cause for beatification. His remains are now interred in a chapel at the Society of Christ's headquarters in Poznań.

Cause for Beatification[]

On June 16, 1999, in a letter to the Archbishop of Poznań, the Superior General of the Society of Christ formally requested to open a cause for the beatification of Ignacy Posadzy. On May 23, 2000, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints issued a nihil obstat allowing the cause to be opened. On January 17, 2001, a ceremony at the Poznań Cathedral marked the beginning of the beatification process on the diocesan level in which evidence of Ignacy Posadzy's heroic virtue would be gathered. On January 12, 2007, Ignacy Posadzy's earthy remains were exhumated and identified. They were interred later in a chapel at the headquarters of the Society of Christ. On May 6, 2009, the diocesan investigation was completed and a report was prepared for submission to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. On June 19, 2009, the report and its related documents were submitted. On September 3, 2009, the Congregation issued a decree allowing the cause to proceed to its next phase in Rome. On November 23, 2009, the Holy See began its review of the submitted report. After reviewing the report, the Congregation issued a decree validating the diocesan investigation and granting Ignacy Posadzy the title of Servant of God. On June 21, 2018 the postulator of the cause, Fr. Bogusław Kozioł SChr, submitted the Positio super vita, virtutibus et fama sanctitatis. The cause is now waiting for the Congregation to complete its review of the Positio.

References[]