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{{short description|Polish missionary}}
{{Expand Polish|topic=bio|Marian Żelazek|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox saint|honorific_prefix=[[Servant of God]]|honorific_suffix=[[Society of the Divine Word|SVD]]|name=Marian Żelazek|image=Marian Zelazek.JPG|imagesize=|caption=|titles=|birth_date=30 January 1918|birth_place=[[Palędzie, Greater Poland Voivodeship|Palędzie]], [[Poland]]|death_date={{death date and age|2006|4|30|1918|1|30}}|death_place=[[Puri]], [[India]]|feast_day=|venerated_in=|beatified_date=|beatified_place=|beatified_by=|canonized_date=|canonized_place=|canonized_by=|attributes=|patronage=|issues=|suppressed_date=|prayer=|prayer_attrib=}}

'''Marian Żelazek''' (30 January 1918 – 30 April 2006) was a Polish Roman Catholic priest of the [[Society of the Divine Word]] (SVD) who lived in India and served amongst the people of [[Odisha|Orissa]]. He is remembered for his service and care towards the [[Leprosy|lepers]] in the region. He was the last foreign missionary of the SVD congregation in India. He was declared [[Servant of God]] on 25 August 2018.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Father Marian|url=https://www.nirvanananda.org/father-marian|access-date=2020-11-30|website=Swami Nirvanananda Saraswati|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=AsiaNews.it|title=Odisha: Christians and Hindus remember Fr Marian Żelazek, 'missionary of compassion' (photos)|url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Odisha:-Christians-and-Hindus-remember-Fr-Marian-%C5%BBelazek,-%27missionary-of-compassion%27-(photos)-43083.html|access-date=2020-11-30|website=www.asianews.it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Indians celebrate Polish missioner's birth centenary - UCA News|url=https://www.ucanews.com/news/indians-celebrate-polish-missioners-birth-centenary/81523|access-date=2020-11-30|website=ucanews.com|language=en}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Marian Żelazek was born on 30 January 1918 in [[Palędzie, Greater Poland Voivodeship|Paledzie]], [[Poznań|Poznan]], [[Poland]] to Mr. Stanislaw and Mrs. Stanislawa. He joined the [[Society of the Divine Word]] in 1937. He made his first profession as a member of the society on 4 September 1939. He completed his [[philosophy]] in Poland and [[Theology]] from [[Anselmianum|Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Fr. Marian Zelazek, SVD|url=http://samplekarunalaya.weebly.com/fr-marian-zelazek-svd.html|access-date=2020-11-30|website=Karunalaya}}</ref><ref name=":3" />

== Priesthood ==
His priestly formation was interrupted for five years because he was captured by the [[Wehrmacht]] for being a Catholic seminarian and a Polish citizen. He spent five years in a concentration camp at [[Dachau concentration camp|Dachau]] in [[Nazi Germany|Germany]], along with his fellow seminarians, priests and religious brothers.<ref name=":3" />

Żelazek made his final profession on 8 September 1948 and was ordained a priest on 18 September 1948. On 21 May 1950, Żelazek reached [[Odisha|Orissa]], India. He was the headmaster of the Hamirpur Boys High School and director of the Minor Seminary in Hamirpur. He set up many schools and hostels and promoted education in [[Rourkela]], Orissa. He served in Orissa for 25 years.

In 1975, he was transferred to [[Puri]] as the parish priest, a post he retained until 1991. He was moved by the sight of so many lepers in the nearby temple that he started a house to take care of them. He named the house Karunalaya. He moved to an ashram in Ishopathy after handing over the charge of parish priest to another priest. He also set up St. Arnold's Center of Spirituality.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=SVD-Curia :: Rev Fr. Marianus Zelazek|url=https://www.svdcuria.org/public/infonews/provinces/20nn/200n/0605zelazek/zel04.htm|access-date=2020-11-30|website=www.svdcuria.org}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

== Awards and honors ==
In August 2000, the Polish government conferred on Żelazek its highest national civilian awards [[Order of Polonia Restituta|The Chivalry Cross of Order of the Rebirth of Poland]]. City Council of Poznan awarded him the tribute of The Honored Citizen of Poznan on 29 June 2005. On 5 March 2003, he was awarded The Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal by the Xavier Labour Institute of [[Jamshedpur]], [[Bihar]]. The Neelchakra socio-cultural organization of Orissa honored him with “Neelchakra”. Oriya daily newspaper Samaj presented him with the Dr. Radhanath Rath Seva Samman Award and a cash prize of Rupees. 10,000.00 on 6 December 2005. He was also nominated for the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 2001 and 2003 for his work for the lepers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|date=2006-05-02|title=Father Marian Zelazek dies at 89|url=https://www.oneindia.com/2006/04/30/father-marian-zelazek-dies-at-89-1146510036.html|access-date=2020-11-30|website=oneindia.com|language=en}}</ref> BBC broadcast a 45-minute video documentary titled “The New Face of Leprosy”.<ref name=":0" />

== Death ==
Zelazek died of a cardiac arrest on 30 April 2006. On 2 May 2006 after the funeral mass at the St. Arnold's Church, [[Jharsuguda]], he was buried at the SVD cemetery in the premises of the SVD Provincial House in [[Jharsuguda]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2006-05-01|title=Polish missionary Marian Zelazek dies|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/polish-missionary-marian-zelazek-dies/story-2Or6vPgJLCWHt3aIDlX4IL.html|access-date=2020-11-30|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=SVD-Curia :: Rev Fr. Marianus Zelazek|url=https://www.svdcuria.org/public/infonews/provinces/20nn/200n/0605zelazek/zel03.htm|access-date=2020-11-30|website=www.svdcuria.org}}</ref><ref name=":4" />

== Beatification process ==
On 25 August 2018 he was declared [[Servant of God]] by the diocese and hence started the process of his [[Canonization|canonisation]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Decree for the opening of the Cause of the Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Father Marian Zelazek, SVD |url=https://www.svdcuria.org/public/infonews/provinces/20nn/201n/1808ine.pdf}}</ref>

== See also ==
[[List of saints of India]]

== References ==
<references />

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zelazek, Marian}}
[[Category:1918 births]]
[[Category:Polish Servants of God]]
[[Category:Divine Word Missionaries Order]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Polish Roman Catholic priests]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic missionaries in India]]
[[Category:21st-century venerated Christians]]

Marian Żelazek - Revision history

BlissKetoSupplement at 19:39, 22 November 2024