While the tragic events of World War II had a devastating impact on Poland and the Polish people, there was much light that came out of the darkness.
Numerous Polish men and women were inspired by their Catholic faith to stand up to injustice and lead heroic lives of holiness.
One of the best known saints from this generation of Polish Catholics is St. John Paul II, the Polish pope whose lasting impact can be felt all around the world.
In recent years another remarkable story from Poland has come to light: the story of Blessed Józef and Wiktoria Ulma and their family.
Bl. Józef and Wiktoria were so bold as to hide a Jewish family during World War II, which eventually led to their martyrdom.
While their martyrdom is certainly inspiring, what's interesting is how Bl. Józef and Wiktoria shared one of the same passions that fueled St. John Paul II during his life.
Passion for the theater and the arts
Before considering the priesthood, St. John Paul II wanted to be an actor. He performed in school productions growing up and then after World War II broke out, his mentor Mieczysław Kotlarczyk moved to Kraków to establish the Rhapsodic Theater.
St. John Paul II was a founding member and participated in various performances in the clandestine theater. He saw the theater as a way he could preserve the memory of Poland and fight against the Nazi Occupation.
For St. John Paul II, the arts were a vital part of promoting a "culture of life."
As he wrote in his Letter to Artists, "Society needs artists, just as it needs scientists, technicians, workers, professional people, witnesses of the faith, teachers, fathers and mothers, who ensure the growth of the person and the development of the community by means of that supreme art form which is 'the art of education.'"
Around the same time in Poland, Bl. Józef and Wiktoria Ulma were similarly active in the arts. While Józef was primarily a farmer, he was also an amateur photographer, even paid by neighbors to take pictures.
He was also involved with the local theater, and it was there that he would later meet his future wife, Wiktoria. According to various accounts, Wiktoria was a promising young actress with the Amateur Theatre Company. They reportedly met during rehearsals at the theater.
They would continue to remain as active as they could in the local theater during their marriage, though it likely had to shutter its doors during the Nazi occupation, like most other theaters in the country.
St. John Paul II would have had much to talk about with Bl. Józef and Wiktoria, who shared his love of the theater and the arts. We ask all three of them, and the Ulma children, to pray for us today!
