Marianna Popiełuszko

Marianna Popiełuszko was a Polish farmer and the mother of Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, who was brutally attacked and murdered by three Security Service agents in 1984.

Biography

Marianna was born in Grodzisk on 7 November 1920 to her mother, Marianna Gniedziejko and her father, Kazimierz. According to PESEL, she was born on 1 June 1910, but the date was erroneously recorded. Marianna lived in Grodzisk and was a farmer in Okopy. In 1942, she married Władysław, and they had five children named Teresa, Józef, Alfons, Jadwiga, and Stanisław. In addition to having five children, Marianna attended masses celebrated by her son Jerzy, who was the chaplain of Solidarity movement in Warsaw.
Marianna attended various religious and anniversary events that include the meeting with Solidarity activists and the pilgrimage to Jasna Góra Monastery in the wake of her son Jerzy's murder; then she set up a room dedicated to Jerzy in her home where she kept memorabilia about him.
On 19 November 2013, Marianna died at the public hospital in Białystok. Four days later, she was buried along with her family at the cemetery in Suchowola.
Marianna received the Order of Polonia Resituta, awarded by President Lech Kaczyński, for her contributions to the democratic transition in Poland and her social and professional achievements in 2006, and became an honorary citizen of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Province in 2013. In 1990, Marianna received the St. Rita Award granted by Augustinian sisters community in Cascia to women, like Rita of Cascia, who has shown forgiveness in their lives.
Mileny Kindziuk's book Matka świętego discusses Maria's family life, as she testifies as a mother especially of Jerzy.