Stanisław Streich

After his ordination, Father Streich pursued studies in classical philosophy at the University of Poznań while serving as chaplain to the Ursuline sisters and as a religion teacher at a business school. From 1927 to 1933, he exercised his ministry as a vicar in several parishes in Poznań: first at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Saint Florian, then in Koźmin (where he taught at the teachers' seminary), at the Corpus Christi Church (Bożego Ciała), and finally at Saint Martin's Church. On July 1, 1933, he was appointed pastor of Saint Barbara's parish in Żabikowo. Faced with local demographic expansion, he immediately took steps to erect a new church in Luboń. On October 1, 1935, the new Saint John Bosco parish of Luboń was officially created, and Father Streich became its very first pastor. In this new role, he displayed remarkable pastoral zeal. He organized catechesis and prayer groups for children, young people, and adults. Deeply sensitive to the social distress of his time, he actively dedicated himself to helping the unemployed, workers, and the most destitute families, without distinction of political opinion or origin. His social action and growing spiritual influence strongly irritated local communist militants, who sought to hinder his ministry. He received numerous anonymous threatening letters, and the church suffered desecrations. Aware of the mortal danger hanging over him, the priest did not allow himself to be intimidated, continued his mission, and even wrote his will.

On Sunday, February 27, 1938, Father Streich was celebrating the 10 a.m. morning Mass, specifically intended for children, at the Church of Saint John Bosco in Luboń. After leaving the altar, he headed toward the pulpit to read the Gospel and deliver his homily. It was at this moment that a fanatical communist militant, Wawrzyniec Nowak, emerged from the crowd and fired twice at the priest. The first bullet struck him in the face, while the second lodged in the book of the Gospels that the priest was holding tightly against his chest. As Father Streich collapsed, the murderer approached and fired two more shots into his back. The criminal then climbed into the pulpit to shout communist slogans. The assassination caused immense emotion throughout Poland. The funeral of Father Streich, celebrated on March 3, 1938, brought together approximately 20,000 people and turned into a massive demonstration of faith and national unity. He is buried near the Church of Saint John Bosco in Luboń.

The reputation of Father Streich's martyrdom has endured through the decades, although his memory was suppressed during the post-war communist regime in Poland. The diocesan beatification process was officially opened on October 28, 2017, by the Archdiocese of Poznań and concluded on April 13, 2019. On January 20, 2024, his mortal remains were exhumed and solemnly transferred to a sarcophagus inside the Church of Saint John Bosco in Luboń. On May 23, 2024, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the martyrdom of Stanisław Streich, killed in hatred of the faith (in odium fidei). The solemn beatification ceremony was celebrated on May 24, 2025, in the square of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Poznań. It was presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, acting as legate for Pope Leo XIV. Pope Leo XIV signed the apostolic letter of beatification on May 13, 2025.

The spirituality of Blessed Stanisław Streich is that of a pastor entirely given to his flock, living out pastoral charity to the supreme gift of his life. During his beatification, Cardinal Semeraro described him as an "apostle of fraternity" and a "benefactor of his people," emphasizing that he knew how to oppose evil with the strength of charity. His final act, as his assassin approached, was to seek to protect the children present by moving them away from danger. His reliquary was designed in the form of a Gospel book pierced by a bullet, recalling how the holy book stopped one of the projectiles during his martyrdom. His liturgical feast is set for February 27, the day of his birth into heaven.