Blessed Rudolf Komorek

Rudolf Komórek (11 October 1890 – 11 December 1949) was a Polish priest and a professed member of the Salesians of Don Bosco while also serving as part of the missions in Brazil. He served during World War I as a hospital chaplain and began the process of joining the order of Saint John Bosco following his time as a prisoner of war in Trento. The cause for sainthood commenced on 31 January 1964 in which he became a Servant of God and Pope John Paul II named him to be Venerable on 6 April 1995. Rudolf Komórek was born on 11 October 1890 in Bielitz as the third of seven children of Jan Komórek, a blacksmith, and Agnieszka Gach, seamstress and midwife. His sisters were Maria, Wanda and Valerie and his brothers were Jan, Leopold and Robert. He was baptized on 30 November 1890. Komórek attended school as a child from 1896 until 1901 when he attended a German high school in his hometown. He passed examinations on 13 July 1909 with distinctions and commenced his studies for the priesthood on 30 September 1909 in Wrocław. He received the sacrament of Confirmation on 20 July 1910 and went on to receive the tonsure on 11 July 1911 from Cardinal Georg von Kopp. Komórek received the minor orders on 11 March 1913 and the title of sub-deacon on the following 13 March. Cardinal Kopp ordained the seminarian to the diaconate on 15 March 1913 while ordaining him to the priesthood on the following 22 July. Komórek served as the vicar of a local parish from 1 August 1913 until such time when he was appointed to a new position and served in Zabrzeg from 1 March until 31 May 1914. On 1 May 1914 he became a chaplain of the 100 Infantry Regiment as a captain due to the tensions that resulted in World War I and on 1 June moved from Zabrze to Skoczów while later relocating to Kraków tending to the wounded in hospitals.