Nun Cecilia Roshak, Righteous Woman of the World

November 16, 2018 in Krakow, at the age of 110 years, departed to the Lord Catholic nun Cecilia Dominican Roszak (Cecylia Roszak). In the last years of her life, she was considered the oldest nun in the world. And during the Second World War, Cecilia, together with her sisters, risking their lives, saved Jews - for which already in the XXI century was awarded the title of 'Righteous Among the Nations.'

On March 25, 1908, a girl was born in the Polish village of Kelchev, who was named Maria in holy baptism. Neither her parents, nor her childhood playmates imagined that over time her life would become a real Christian feat. But this will be later - in the meantime, Maria was growing up and receiving education: first at a local school, and then at the State Women's Trade and Crafts School in Poznan.

At the age of 21, Maria entered the Dominican convent in Krakow. Three years later, she took monastic vows and adopted a new name - Cecilia. For seven years after that, her life was subordinated to the usual circle of affairs for monastics: she bore obedience, kept fasting, every day she prayed for a long time ... Finally, in 1938, Cecilia with a group of sisters arrived in Vilnius to found a new Dominican monastery in this city. However, the outbreak of the Second World War soon intervened in these plans.

When Lithuania turned into a territory occupied by the Nazis, who established their own rules in the country, Cecilia, together with her sisters, undertook to save local Jews from the Nazis. In total, they managed to help a dozen people avoid persecution and reprisals, including the future head of the underground in the Vilnius ghetto - Adam Kovner. Twelve lives saved - at first glance, this is not a lot. It is negligible in comparison with the world famous 'Schindler's list' in which there are more than a thousand names ... However, if you remember that for harboring a single Jew Cecilia and other nuns, according to Nazi orders, the death penalty was guaranteed, their secret service during the war years begins to be seen as a daily feat. Cecilia and other sisters continued to serve the Lord God and neighbor in Vilnius until 1943, when their leader was arrested by the Nazis, and the activities of the Dominican women's community in this city were stopped.

After the defeat of Germany and her allies in the war, Cecilia Roshak returned to Krakow, to her native monastery. She remained in the holy monastery for many decades, contributing a lot to its development and prosperity. Cecilia performed many different obediences - and was even elected as abbess. At the age of 101, the nun underwent complex surgery on the hip and knee joints - but, despite this, and in subsequent years, continued to take an active part in the monastery life.

In 2009, nun Cecilia Roshak was awarded the honorary title of Righteous Among the Nations. It is assigned by the Israel Institute of National Holocaust and Heroism Memorial to non-Jewish people who, during the Holocaust, rescued Jews at the risk of their lives. Along with being recognized as a righteous person, such a person is awarded a personal medal and a certificate of honor, and his name is immortalized in the Yad Vashem memorial complex on Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem. Now, among more than twenty thousand names of people from different countries of the world, there is also the name of the Polish Dominican nun Cecilia Roschach - although she herself has already left the earthly world.

V. Sergienko.