Cecylia Roszak

Maria Roszak joined the Dominican cloister in Kraków at age twenty-one, eventually becoming one of the most long-lived figures in Polish religious history. Known by her religious name Cecylia, she spent decades serving in diverse roles within her order while becoming a significant historical witness to the mid-twentieth-century resistance movements in Vilnius.

Early Life and Religious Commitment

Born on 25 March 1908 in Kiełczewo, Maria Roszak pursued education at the State Trade and Industrial School of Women located in Poznań. She completed her initial religious vows on 7 February 1931, adopting the name Cecylia, and finalized her commitment to the order in 1934.

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Mission in Vilnius and Resistance Efforts

In 1938, Cecylia moved to Kolonia Wileńska to establish a new monastery. The community operated a twelve-acre farm and maintained a small chapel. During the occupation in Vilnius, the monastery served as a shelter for fifteen Jewish refugees from the Vilna Ghetto, including members of the Hashomer Hatzair scouting group like Abba Kovner and Izrael Chaim Wilner. The site functioned as a base for the Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye. Despite the German closure of the monastery and the arrest of the mother superior in 1943, the nuns continued their efforts. Cecylia assumed the role of prioress in 1944 and provided sanctuary for two children orphaned by the war.

Service and Later Years

Following territorial changes after the conflict, Cecylia relocated back to the Dominican convent in Kraków. Her duties expanded to include serving as a porter, organist, and cantor, where she led choral instruction. She also handled administrative correspondence and served multiple terms as prioress. In 1984, she received the Righteous Among the Nations award. She reached her 110th birthday in 2018, recognized as the oldest living inhabitant of Kraków, prior to her death on 16 November 2018.

Fast facts

Born: 25 March 1908, Kiełczewo
Died: 16 November 2018, Kraków
Religious Order: Dominican Sisters
Award: Righteous Among the Nations (1984)
Age at death: 110 years
Education: State Trade and Industrial School of Women, Poznań

Questions readers ask

What was Cecylia Roszak's primary role during the war?

She served as a Dominican nun who sheltered fifteen Jewish refugees and facilitated the formation of the Jewish resistance organization Fareynikte Partizaner Organizatsye.