Włodzimierz Szembek
Polish priest (1883–1942)
Who they were
Włodzimierz (Wladimiro) Szembek was born into a noble Polish family in 1883 and trained as an agricultural engineer, managing his mother's large estate for twenty years with notable generosity to the poor and quiet personal austerity. At forty-two, feeling that religious life offered him the surest path to holiness, he entered the Salesians in 1928, made his profession in 1929, and was ordained priest at Krakow in 1934, later serving as secretary to his provincial and working at Krakow and Skawa.
Arrested by the Gestapo on 9 July 1942, he was moved through Nowy Targ, Zakopane and Tarnów before reaching Auschwitz, where he died on 22 September 1942 from violence suffered during interrogation. Pope Leo XIV recognised his martyrdom in hatred of the faith on 24 October 2025, and he was beatified on 6 June 2026 together with eight other Salesian martyrs.
The miracles
As a martyr he was raised to the altars without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
Salesian priest who died of violence suffered during interrogation at Auschwitz, 22 September 1942; beatified 6 June 2026.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
- Santi, beati e testimoni (santiebeati.it) - Beato Wlodzimierz Szembek
- Wikidata Q1566447 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.