Blessed Martyr Priest Alexis Zarytsky died 63 years ago

The Eparchy of Wrocław-Koszalin marks the remembrance of Blessed Martyr Priest Alexis Zarytsky, a priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church who died on October 30, 1963. He died in the Dolinka labor camp near Karaganda.

Born on October 17, 1912, in Bilche, Zarytsky studied at the Lviv Theological Academy before being ordained a priest by Metropolitan Sheptytsky on June 7, 1936, at St. George's Cathedral in Lviv. He served in the villages of Stynova Nyzhnia, Stynova Vyzhnia, and Strutyn.

During the Second World War, Zarytsky faced pressure from authorities who prohibited religious instruction for children. To continue teaching, he organized students into groups based on where they lived, allowing top students to teach their peers. He also hosted children for religious instruction in his home despite the risks.