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Jadwiga Karolina ZakBlessed of the Roman Catholic Church, nun
Date of Birth: 29.12.1892
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Content:
- Blessed Maria Imelda (Jadwiga Karolina Kotowska)
- Religious Vocation:
- Mission to Belarus:
- Martyrdom:
- Beatification:
Blessed Maria Imelda (Jadwiga Karolina Kotowska)
Early Life and Education:Blessed Maria Imelda was born as Jadwiga Karolina Kotowska on an unspecified date. Details of her early life and educational background are scarce.
Religious Vocation:
In 1911, she joined the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (Nazarethans). She completed her novitiate in Albano, Italy, where she professed her final vows and adopted the name Maria Imelda.
Mission to Belarus:
In 1936, at the request of the bishop, Maria Imelda and other nuns traveled to Novogrudok, Belarus. She worked in the sacristy of the Transfiguration of the Lord Catholic Church.
Martyrdom:
In August 1943, Novogrudok faced mass reprisals against civilians. Maria Imelda and her fellow nuns offered to substitute themselves for arrested civilians. On the night of August 31-September 1, they were apprehended and executed by German occupiers in a nearby forest.
Beatification:
On March 5, 2000, Maria Imelda was proclaimed Blessed by Pope John Paul II. She is one of the eleven Novogrudok Martyrs, who collectively represent the horrors of persecution during the war.
