Repression of communist authorities against Rev. Jan Wiącek, a Radom parish priest

Abstract

Rev. dr Jan Wiącek (1900—1973) was a cleric of the Sandomierz diocese. Wiącek was a parish priest in Radom for 13 years, and then in Koprzywni­ca near Sandomierz for another 20 years. He started leading the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Radom-Glinice in the summer of 1941 under the Nazi occupation. After the war ended, he continued to build the local church. In 1949, Bishop Jan Lorek, the ordinary of the Sandomierz diocese, put him in charge of the parish of the Care of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Radom; Wiącek also served as a dean. It was thanks to him that the parish repaid large pre-war debts. He was first troubled by restrictions on the part of state authorities in 1950. Initially these included financial sanctions (dis- proportionately high taxes). The authorities also wanted to forcibly accom- modate additional tenants in the presbytery. Rev. Wiącek was intimidated, harassed by night phone calls and threatened. The authorities insisted that Wiącek should join the movement of the so-called "patriotic priests" who supported the government and criticised the Church hierarchy. When he flatly refused, state authorities demanded that he be removed from his po- sition. To this end, they used the decree of 9 February 1953. Bishop Lorek defended Rev. Wiącek by submitting appeals to central authorities. The dispute lasted eight months; faced with pressure, the bishop finally granted Rev. Wiącek a period of leave. In February 1954 he transferred Wiącek to the parish in Koprzywnica. Despite efforts made after the political thaw of late 1956/early 1957, the state authorities did not allow him to return to Radom.