Biskup Stanisław Zdzitowiecki wobec wojny polsko-bolszewickiej

Stanisław Zdzitowiecki was the bishop of the Diocese of Kujawy and Kalisz, which was the largest in the church administration in the Kingdom of Poland and the Second Polish Republic, both during the partitions of Poland and after Poland regained independence. This period was marked by important historical events, such as the Polish-Bolshevik war, when following its outbreak he called on the faithful of his diocese to defend their homeland by joining a volunteer army and making donations for military purposes. He called on women to perform the work of nurses and for clergy to act as chaplains. After the heroic defence of Włocławek and the removal of the threat poised by the Red Army, he initiated celebration funerals of fallen soldiers as well as the Holy Mass in thanks for saving the city. To commemorate the Miracle on the Vistula, he placed a painting of Our Lady of Częstochowa in the church of St. John in Włocławek. In the following years, he took care of removing the material effects of the war, such as the destruction of the bishop’s palace, the fire affecting the library works of art and the diocesan archive. As a result, church buildings were rebuilt, other historical memorabilia were well secured, while some of the burnt documents were partially reconstructed.