Jerzy Tomziński

Jerzy Tomziński Pauline Fathers, born Jan Tomziński on 24 November 1918 at Przystajń and died on 14 November 2021 at Blachownia was a Polish Catholic priest, a member of the Pauline Fathers, Doctor (title), Prosecutor, Preacher, three times Prior of the Pauline Monastery of Jasna Góra, twice Prior General of the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit, Prosecutor General of his order near Holy See, and a Council Father at Second Vatican Council.
== Biography ==
Jan Tomzinski is from a large family whose parents are farmers. On 1 December 1918, he was baptized in the Church (building) of the Holy Trinity to Przystajń. In his native village, he contacts Pauline fathers (among others Paweł Kosiak and Damian Sikorski), frequent guests of his family. In the atmosphere of the "Marian cult", which was fueled by his grandfather, his journey to religion began with his patience and his humility.
After graduating from a school in his native village, he went to study at the College of the Pauline Order from Skałka to Krakow, where his donations for violin, organ and trumpet were revealed. After obtaining his National diploma (France), he entered the Paulian vocation on 5 August 1935, under the religious name of Jerzy. After completing his noviciate on 6 August 1936, he pronounced his first religious vows to Leśna Podlaska, after which he returned to Krakow, where he completed his secondary education, obtaining his Bachelor's degree on 23 May 1938.
In September 1938, he began philosophical and theological studies at the Pauline Higher Seminary of Krakow, but due to the trigger on September 1, 1939, of the World War II, he continued his curriculum at Jasna Góra, where he made Religious profession on July 12, 1942.
On April 16, 1944, Jerzy Tomziński was ordained priest by Teodor Kubina, bishop from Częstochowa, to Jasna Góra, after which he began his spiritual ministry as preacher and Confession (religion), especially for young people.
In 1945, he was appointed guardian of Jasna Gora’s shrine , preparing for the great celebration of the consecration of the Polish people at Immaculate Heart of Mary on September 8, 1946, and previous ceremonies related to the consecration of Stefan Wyszyński, Archdiocese of Lublin, later Primate (bishop) and Beatification, with which he was bound by a particular friendship and trust.
On 29 January 1949, the General Prior of the Paulin Order of the time named him Prior, Prior and guardian of the Marian Sanctuary of Leśna Podlaska. He is doing a wide pastoral work, especially among young people, causing religious outbreaks, active in charitable and social fields. It contributes to the modernisation of Leśna-Podlaska's Basilica, launching the construction of a Pipe organ, benches and chairs. At the Stalinist time, he was forced to cease its activities and leave Leśna-Podlaska, after teaching courses of religion at school (which was then forbidden), to return to Jasna Góra. There, on 27 May 1952, the General Chapter of the Order of Pauline Fathers, named him Prior of the Shrine of Jasna Gora.
During his first term, he undertook renovation and maintenance work on the brilliant mountain, in the chapel and the Knights Hall. In addition, he initiated a national prayer for the release of Primate (bishop), the Cardinal (Catholic Church) Stefan Wyszyński, imprisoned since 1953, beginning with the Personal Binder Act at the Virgin Mary.
On 19 August 1957, at the General Chapter, he handed his office as Prior and went for specialized studies in Canon law to Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome, under the direction of the cardinal Jesuit Urbano Navarrete, which will be crowned in 1962 with a PhD. At the same time in Rome, he served as Prior of the monastery, Attorney General of the Pauline Order near the Holy See and confessor of the nuns. In addition, he is a priest of the church of Gesù Nazareno de la Via dei Barbieri, and at the chapel of Notre-Dame of Częstochowa in the basement of the Saint Peter Basilica. He also had the honour during his stay in Italy, on 20 September 1962, to meet personally the holy stigmatist and mystical Padre Pio at San Giovanni Rotondo.
On 25 January 1959, he attended the announcement of the convening of the Second Vatican Council by Pope John XXIII, and attended the solemn opening of the Council on 11 October 1962. On 23 July 1963, he was elected general prior of the Pauline Order.http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/btomzinsk.html As such, he participated in the last and fourth session of the council, which took place from 14 September to 8 December 1965. It contributes to the worship of Black Madonna of Częstochowa by distributing images of it to all members of the Vatican Council II. After that, he drafted a draft new constitution of the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit (Pauline Fathers Order), transferring it to the Holy See for approval. He also worked for thirty years at the Marian Episcopate Commission of Poland.
In 1974, as a prior of the shrine, he accepted the realisation at Jasna Góra from the historic film "The Deluge (film)" by Jerzy Hoffman. On 7 April 1978, he became president of the 600th anniversary of the presence of Jasna Góra's Icon (religion) in the publishing and organisation of national and international marital congress. He was soon appointed a columnist of Jasna Góra and correspondent of Vatican Radio and the Bulletin of the Press Office of the Episcopal Secretariat of Poland, and then editor of magazines: "Niedziela" and "Jasna Góra".
In 1990, he was elected for the third time as Prior of Jasna Góra, at the age of 72, preparing the sanctuary for the 6th World Youth Day, after which he resumed his editorial work, and then due to his retirement.
For the Jubilee of his centenary on 2 September 2018, the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, gives him the medal of the Peace and a letter of congratulations.
On the day of his Jubilee, on November 24, 2018, a mass (liturgy) was presided over by the Prior General of the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit, Arnold Chrapkowski. Then on April 16, 2019, his diamond jubilee marked his 75 years of priesthood.
On November 9, 2021, due to the worsening of his health, Jerzy Tomziński was transported to the Rudolf Weigl hospital of Blachownia, where he died on November 14, a few days before his 103 anniversary. The funeral, celebrated by bishop Stanisław Gądecki, took place on 17 November in the Jasna Gora Basilica. He is then buried in the cemetery of Częstochowa in the square of Pauline Fathers.
Category:1918 births
Category:2021 deaths
Category:People from Kłobuck County