On July 19, 2000, the Oblates in the Belleville, IL area gathered at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows to celebrate with Fr. Zygmunt Dzierzek,OMI on the occassion of his 57th Anniversary of Ordination. Fr. Zygmunt took the opportunity to recall that Blessed Josef Cebula, OMI had been his instructor and spiritual director in the Oblate Seminary. Here is some of that story as related by his friends:
Fr. Cebula and Fr. Zygmunt's story is a witness to the work of God in the midst of difficult surroundings. Fr. Zygmunt began his training in Poland. After grade school he went to the Diocesan Minor Seminary. During his time there, he had occasion to hear the preaching of a visiting Oblate priest and felt himself led to join the Oblate Seminary. An important instructor and spiritual director for him in the seminary was Fr. Jozef Cebula,OMI who would eventually die a martyr in a German concentration camp. (see the story on Blessed Cebula).
Signs of World War II seemed to be all around in 1939 as Fr. Zygmunt was attending the Oblate Seminary. When the war broke out, the seminary was closed. Germany occupied Western Poland and Russia occupied Eastern Poland. Fr. Cebula was arrested in 1941 and taken to the German concentration camp in Mauthausen, Austria. Life in the concentration camp was very cruel and he was killed 21 days after being imprisoned.
Fr. Zygmunt was taken to a Russian concentration camp in 1939. Salvation came from the enemies - Germany attacked Russia in 1941 and almost reached the gates of Moscow. Russia, at this time, released some Polish prisoners, under supervision, to allow them to form the Polish army to fight Germany.
Fr. Zygmunt made the choice to join the Polish Army in the hope that his dream of becoming a priest would be fulfilled. The vision of Fr. Joseph Cebula was for Zygmunt to become a priest. Fr. Cebula's vision was realized when Zygmunt was ordained on July 19, 1942.
It was to a large extent due to the efforts of Bp. Joseph Gawlina that Zygmunt was ordained. This Bishop, who held the rank of General, made the decision to ordain 3 Polish Seminarian soldiers who had been already preparing for ordination. Fr. Zygmunt was among the three. It was in the small Moslem town of Jangi Jul, Uzbekistan near the Afghanistan border that the ordination took place. The military stadium became the church with the altar built in the center. That Sunday morning the Polish soldiers marched to the altar to take part in the Ordination and worship. The Red Army was also there, the soldiers watching what was going on but keeping their own citizens far away - this was the era of Joseph Stalin who had recently forbid religion and worship.
Friendship between Communist Russia and the Poles was critical. After ordination, Fr. Zygmunt escaped arrest and went to Teheran, Iran with 100 Polish orphaned children and 20,000 Polish refugees to whom he ministered.
Fr. Zygmunt continues to share the Good News with the residents and employees at the Apartment Community in Belleville. Through him, the vision of Blessed Cebula lives on.