Ks. dr Józef Gawor - świadek dwóch totalitaryzmów

Fr. Dr. Józef Gawor, one of the most important Silesian priests of the 20th century, was born in 1907 in Dąbrówka Mała near Katowice, into a large mining family. He was ordained as a priest in June 1931 by Bishop Stanisław Adamski of Katowice. Before World War II, he worked as a catechist at a girls' high school in Królewska Huta. He was also active in the scouting movement, serving as a chaplain for the girls' troop in Świętochłowice. On May 24, 1940, he was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the Dachau concentration camp, where he was assigned prisoner number 12,926. After three months, he was transferred to KL Gusen, where he stayed until December 8, 1940, before being returned to Dachau. He was released on April 24, 1942. In 1948, he began working at the editorial office of “Gość Niedzielny”, but in November 1952, the state authorities removed him from his position. From 1953 to 1956, he organized support for the exiled Silesian bishops and advocated for their release. He returned to the editorial office alongside the bishops in November 1956. For 16 years, he led the diocesan Commission for Sacred Art, influencing the decoration of churches in the Katowice diocese. He was a well-known preacher, invited to parishes and church centers across the country. He retired in March 1974. Fr. Gawor passed away on Holy Thursday, April 16, 1981. His funeral, held on Easter Monday at the Katowice Cathedral, was a significant event for the community, attended by thousands of the faithful and hundreds of priests from across the country, who remembered him not only as an editor but also as a steadfast witness to faith during two eras of totalitarianism.