The Service of the Carmelite Sisters of the Infant Jesus in Jaworzno during the German Occupation (1942–1945)

Abstract

In the second half of 1942, the German occupation authorities attempted to force the Carmelite Sisters of the Infant Jesus, residing in the convent in Sosnowiec, to sign the Deutsche Volksliste (German Nationality List). None of the sisters agreed to take this step. As a form of reprisal, some of the sisters were forcibly sent to work at a hospital in Jaworzno in December 1942. The sisters did not have any nursing training, but within their abilities and skills, they dedicated themselves to caring for the sick. They also carried out various cleaning and administrative tasks. From late 1942 until April 1945, a total of 13 sisters from the Carmelite congregation worked at the hospital in Jaworzno.
The superior general, Mother Teresa Kierocińska, maintained regular contact with the sisters in Jaworzno, showing concern for their daily lives. She encouraged them to remain faithful to their vocational duties and offered advice and guidance to help them cope with the difficult situation. In her letters, she placed particular emphasis on the development of spiritual life as a source of strength to endure the hardships of war and German occupation. The Archive of Mother Teresa Kierocińska in Sosnowiec has preserved 38 letters from the sisters to Mother Teresa and 18 letters from Mother Teresa to the sisters in Jaworzno. These letters bear witness to the religious and spiritual life of the Catholic community in Poland under German occupation.