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Over the past few years the Catholic world has been fascinated by the life and example of Bl. Carlo Acutis, a "computer geek" who will be canonized a saint sometime in the next year.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski of Krakow, Poland, announced the opening of the cause of beatification and canonization of Helena Kmieć. She was born in the same year as Carlo Acutis (1991), but died several years later than him, in 2017.
Who was Servant of God Helena Kmieć?
Helena Kmieć was born on February 9, 1991, in Krakow, Poland, as the second daughter of Jan Kmiecia and Agnieszka Bejska. Helena lost her mother only a few weeks after birth. She was baptized on April 14, 1991, in the parish church of. St. Barbara in Libiąż. She was raised in a deeply Catholic family. After the death of Agnieszka Kmieć, Jan married Barbara Zając, who became a second mother to Helena.
![[Slideshow] Meet Helena Kmieć, who could be the next “Carlo Acutis”](https://wp.en.aleteia.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/01/helena-kmiec-13.jpeg?w=620&h=310&crop=1?resize=620,310&q=75)
In 2000 Helena received her first Holy Communion, and six years later the sacrament of Confirmation. After high school she pursued engineering studies at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, where she also studied music.
It was during her university studies where she began to volunteer and seek after missionary work. Helena decided to join the Salvator Missionary Volunteer Service of the Congregation of Salvatorian Priests. In 2012, she was sent to Galgahéviz in Hungary for her first mission.
The postulator for her beatification process noted that "Helenka was delighted with the idea of the founder of our Salvatorian religious congregation, Bl. Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan, who once said that 'As long as there is only one man in the world who does not know and love Jesus Christ, the only savior of the world, you must not rest.'”
During her missionary work she visited Zambia, Romania and then Bolivia.
On her application to be accepted on these missionary trips she wrote the following:
I received God's grace, or DDDDD ("A Gift Gratuitously Given from God to Give [others]” in Polish "Dar Darmo Dany Do Dawania") and I have to share this Gift! All the skills I have, the abilities I acquire, the talents that I develop – are not intended for me, but are for me to use them to help others. The biggest gift is that I know God and I can't keep it to myself, I have to make it public! If I can help someone, make someone smile, be happier, teach – something, I want to do it!
Helena Kmieć went on a mission to Bolivia in 2017 and was tragically killed on January 24, 2017, at the age of 25, though the her murderer was not motivated by her practice of the faith, meaning that she is not considered a martyr. Her cause for canonization is being pursued based on her "heroic virtues."
According to the National Catholic Register, "When Father Król visited Helena’s family shortly after learning about her tragic death, he said that although her parents’ sadness was undeniable, Barbara nevertheless expressed joy that Helena had received Holy Communion the evening before being killed and so died in a state of grace."
At the moment her life is being investigated by the Archdiocese of Krakow to determine if her cause can be passed on to Rome for final consideration.
A documentary was produced in 2018 that looked at her heroic life, though it is currently only available in Polish.
Click here to see a slideshow of images.
