Blessed Ludwik Mzyk
Also known as
- Ludivico Mzyk
- Ludvig Mzyk
- 23 February
- 12 June as one of the 108 Polish Martyrs
Profile
The fifth of ten children born in the family of a pious coal miner. Early feeling a call to the priesthood, Ludwyk entered the seminary in Heiligenkreuz in his teens; when there was a break in the classes, he would go home to work in the mines to help support his family. Joined the Society of the Divine Word. He continued his theological studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. Ordained a priest on 30 October 1932. Served three years as director of novices at the Chludowie monastery near Poznan, Poland where he taught theology, and became rector of the house. When the German army invaded Poland in 1939, Father Ludwyk came into immediate conflict with the Gestapo for trying to defend his novices against Nazi demands and propaganda. He was arrested on 25 January 1940, and assigned to barracks 7 at the Poznan death camp. Between bouts of torture, Ludwyk ministered to other prisoners until the Nazis finally gave up trying to break him and simply killed him. Martyr.
Born
- shot in the back of the head on 23 February 1942 in Poznan, Wielkopolskie, Poland
- 26 March 1999 by Pope John Paul II (decree of martyrdom)
MLA Citation
- “Blessed Ludwik Mzyk“. CatholicSaints.Info. 29 January 2019. Web. 9 June 2024. <>