This Sunday, the Catholic Church will beatify an entire family of nine, including the youngest child who was not yet born when the entire family was rounded up by Nazis for helping Jews. I was completely stunned when I first encountered the story of the Ulma family from Poland. It was in 1942 when Poland was still occupied by Nazi Germans, that the Ulma family accepted eight Jewish people to come and live with them in hiding in their farmhouse in the village of Markowa in southeastern Poland. They did this fully knowing the risk that those who helped Jews would be instantly killed. The Ulma family on their farm in 1943. Photo taken by the father, Józef. The Nazi occupiers discovered that the Ulmas were hiding the Jews. The Nazi police descended upon the family home in the early morning of March 24, 1944. They immediately rounded up the Jewish occupants, lined them up, and shot them. They then killed the parents Józef and Wiktoria before killing their six children: Stanisława, aged 7, Barbara, 6, Władysław, 5, Franciszek, 4, Antoni, 2, and Maria, 1. The Nazi murderers then set the house ablaze and hastily buried the bodies. A few days later, the townspeople retrieved the bodies to give them a more dignified burial. That was when they noticed beside the body of the mother, who at the time had been seven months pregnant, the body of her baby. It was a male child. The evidence was clear that the mother had entered labour prematurely at the time of her execution, likely due to the stress of the situation. The entire family, including the unnamed baby boy, will be beatified for giving their lives to save others. The Church made the case that the youngest child is eligible for beatification, despite never having received baptism, because of going through a “baptism of blood.” The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints stated that “at the time of the massacre, Mrs. Wiktoria Ulma was in a state of advanced pregnancy with her seventh child,” noting that “this son was delivered at the time of his mother’s martyrdom,” and was therefore fitting that this child be included alongside the other children who were also martyred. “In fact, in the martyrdom of his parents he received the baptism of blood,” the Church explained. The Polish Bishops explained why the family was so heroic: “The Ulmas, trying to live like Christ, implementing the commandment of love on a daily basis, were ready to give their lives for their neighbours…Józef and Wiktoria Ulma, being absolutely aware of the risks, sacrificed their lives to save Jews in need. Their heroic attitude is a testimony that love is stronger than death.” The Ulma’s story deeply moved me. I was heartbroken by the inhumanity of the Nazis while being filled with admiration for the generosity of the Ulmas to help those in need. I could not get out of my mind how terrifying it must have been for the family to go through this horrifying ordeal. What gave me consolation is that they all entered heaven together, as a family. And, isn’t that the goal of our earthly pilgrimage – that we along with our family members enter heaven where we can be with one another forever and ever? It must have been a great day in heaven when the Ulma family arrived at heaven’s gate, altogether, the children getting to meet their youngest member for the first time. I was also very glad that the Church recognized the youngest member of the Ulma family and will beatify this little one along with the rest of the family. There is something extremely pro-life about this. May the Ulma family inspire each one of us to be faithful to the end and to love without counting the cost. Be bold and daring for life! - Pete Baklinski Director of Communications Campaign Life Coalition
So powerful. Wow. I am so moved. An ordinary Catholic family living an extraordinary life of grace. "No greater love has any man but that he lay down his life for his friends...."
How can one not weep over such willful blindness and hatred! Will I be willing to sacrifice my life as this family did? Josef Ulma and his beloved wife and children , pray for us!
There were probably many families killed like this during the war. Their killers must have been possessed.
would the baby be the youngest saint yet? I remember there was a baby girl saint but can't remember who it was, just that she wore a dress in the images.
Maybe little Nellie of Holy God--i think thats was her name. A little Irish girl who was 4 when she died.
Had a quick look and can only find that St. Jacinta was the youngest at 9 years old. Might you be thinking of the Infant of Prague?
https://aleteia.org/2017/03/03/little-nellie-of-holy-god-the-toddler-who-inspired-a-pope/ Ellen Organ, known as Little Nellie Three and a half. Or maybe four. Great article about how her life influenced Pope St Pius X.
