December 8 -- Feast of Blessed Alojy Liguda

Where in the World is Poland?

Between 1871 and 1919, Poland did not exist on maps of Europe.  That which had not been taken by Germany was taken either by Russia or Austria-Hungary.  This is a very important point in understanding the life and death of Father Alojy Liguda.

Alojy was in a seminary in the Polish part of Germany when World War One broke out. He was drafted into the German Army and served in France.  After the war, he returned home (now located in Poland), re-enrolled in seminary, and was eventually ordained. He had thought the missions (maybe China or Africa) would be good but his superiors thought he should stay in Poland.  German invaders later disagreed -- they sent him to Dachau.

Blessed Alojy Liguda

Father Alojy was rolled up with many other Catholic clergy when the Nazis took over.  At first they were held in St. Joseph House, a monastery that was converted into a detention camp.  A few of the most suspicious priests were shot in the woods, and shortly afterward, the rest were deported to the Stutthof Concentration Camp, the first in a series of camps to which he was sent.  Folks on the outside had worked for his release, noting his military service on Germany's behalf and his German ancestry.  The fact that he knew German and was teaching it in Stutthof might have counted in his favor too.  But when questioned by Nazi interrogators, he declared himself to be Polish.

He made two mistakes, the second of which was coughing too much.  The first was also respiratory-related, but not directly.

Alojy was assigned to a prison group that was governed by an especially harsh kapo named Rogler.  A Russian prisoner in the group risked a cigarette.  When Rogler smelled the smoke, he rushed over and demanded to know who had been smoking.  Alojy immediately declared, "I smoked," and was brutally beaten.  Rogler then demanded his cigarettes.  When Alojy declared he didn't have any, Rogler asked him what kind of priest lies.  Alojy replied that he wasn't lying -- he had smoked before, but not on that day.  The kapo recommenced to beating him until the Russian confessed.

Alojy got ill and was sent to the infirmary with a tuberculosis diagnosis.  He was recovering, but he criticized the foreman of the infirmary for unequal distribution of food, harming patients, and other such abuses of power.  The foreman labeled Alojy as disabled, effectively a toe-tag at Dachau.  The priest and nine other people were drowned in icy water in a fristbite experiment.  Skin samples had been cut from Alojy's flesh before the drowning and after it.  The infirmary foreman passed word that, after seeing the body, he would never list a healthy prisoner as disabled again.

Alojy's body was cremated twelve hours after his death.  His eighty-four year old mother received a letter indicating that he had died of tuberculosis, a remarkably humane gesture, but it was still only 1942.