Marceli Godlewski served as the pastor of All Saints parish in Warsaw from 1915 until 1945, a role that placed him inside the Warsaw Ghetto when it was established by German forces in 1940. Despite a lifelong history of anti-Semitic political rhetoric, he used his position to facilitate the survival of Jewish people during the Nazi occupation of Poland.
Early Career and Social Activism
Born in Turczyn in 1865, Godlewski entered the clergy after graduating from the seminary in Sejny in 1886 and completing theological studies in Rome. Upon moving to Warsaw in 1896, he taught at a seminary and held vicar roles. His early career combined clerical duties with political and social engagement. He founded the Association of Christian Workers in 1905 to counter socialist influence and launched several publications, including Pracownik Polski and Chrześcijański Ruch Społeczny. He maintained a long-standing affiliation with the National Democracy party, later joining the National Party in 1930.
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During the German occupation, Godlewski altered his stance toward the Jewish population. As the parish priest for All Saints Church, which stood within the ghetto boundaries, he utilized the church and his own residence to provide aid. He issued hundreds of fraudulent baptismal certificates, allowing individuals to escape persecution. With the assistance of vicar Antoni Czarnecki and the Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary, he operated an orphanage in Anin that protected approximately 20 Jewish children. The parish also maintained a soup kitchen serving nearly 100 people daily, while the church itself hid individuals in the parsonage and an underground tunnel designed for smuggling.
Post-war Recognition
Following the liquidation of the ghetto in 1942, Godlewski relocated to Anin, where he continued his humanitarian work until his death on 25 December 1945. He was buried at Powązki Cemetery. His wartime contributions were officially recognized in 2009 when he was posthumously awarded the Righteous Among the Nations medal by Yad Vashem. His actions are documented in the memoirs of survivors, including Ludwik Hirszfeld, and he remains a subject of study regarding the role of the Polish Catholic clergy during the Holocaust.
Fast facts
- Born: 1865, Turczyn
- Died: 1945, Anin
- Ordained: 1888
- Role: Pastor, All Saints parish (1915-1945)
- Political affiliation: National Democracy, National Party
- Recognition: Righteous Among the Nations (2009)
- Burial site: Powązki Cemetery
Questions readers ask
How did Godlewski help people escape the ghetto?
He issued fake baptismal certificates, organized soup kitchens, and used a tunnel under the church on Leszno Street to move goods and people.
Was he always sympathetic toward the Jewish population?
No. Yad Vashem noted he was vocally anti-Semitic for most of his life, though his actions changed significantly during the Nazi occupation.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 2009
- Worked as politician, Catholic priest and opinion journalist
