Blessed Katherine Celestyna Faron was born in 1913 in Zabrzez, district of Nowy Sacz, Poland. When her mother died when she was a small child, religious and kind relatives raised her. From childhood, Sister Celestina was distinguished by her sincere love and devotion to the Blessed Mother and a desire to dedicate herself to God in service.

On February 19, 1942 Sister Celestyna was captured by the Nazi Gestapo and sent to prisons in Jaslo and Tarnow. On January 6, 1943 she arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp where she lived in the poorest of conditions and suffered starvation and tortures. She submitted completely to the Will of God, not complaining but lifting others in spirit. Typhoid and lung tuberculosis with hemorrhages required tremendous sacrifice to her. She offered her sacrifice for the conversion of an apostate priest. His conversion was seen as a sign that God accepted her sacrifice. Her fellow prisoners told how they considered her a saint and were strengthened by her words of encouragement and confidence in God, her sisterly prayer, humorous anecdotes and favors, sharing with them her food rations. Sister Celestina had not received the Holy Eucharist in communion for over 15 months while in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Finally, one day a priest arrived carrying the consecrated communion wafers in the hem of his garments. Sister Celestyna received the sacrament shortly before her death.

Sister died in Auschwitz-Birkenau in the first hour of Easter in April 9,1944 - she was only 31 years of age. Her life and death have remained an inspiration for all those who she knew. Sister Celestina left us with some beautiful thoughts. She wrote: "I realize that life in the love of God is the happiest."; "I always desire to walk the way of love and devotion so that I can approach the Immaculate Lamb."; "One should always accept the Will of God."

Maria Nastal - in religion: Sister Leonia Maria - was born at Stara Wieś, near Brzozow, Poland  on November 8th, 1903, the daughter of Francis and Catherina nee Jop. There were five children, two of whom died in infancy.

Since the family was desperately poor, the father went to the United States to earn some money.  There he remained for 18 years, hence, it fell to the mother to look after the household and small farm, and raise her two daughters and son. Since they were often in want, Maria as a child and later on understood the poor and was always tenderhearted toward them.

Maria was known for her love of Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary. She experienced the call to dedicate herself to God early in life. When her father returned home in 1921, she asked him for permission to enter the local community of the Little Servant Sisters but received a definite refusal. Her father had wanted her to undergo higher studies in order to possibly run some business for him. Eventually on December 31, 1925 she was able to realize her desire, and entered the Motherhouse of the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Stara Wies.

In 1934 Sister Leonia pronounced her final profession of vows and was sent to Poznan to supervise a number of sisters - students in education and nursing.

Sister Leonia herself was a mystic, deeply united with God, and a poet at heart. Her intense spiritual life and asceticism, solicitude for her convent and community of sisters together with her constant readiness to help them at studies soon undermined her frail strength.

At the outbreak of World War II, Sister Leonia Maria was critically ill with tuberculosis of the lungs. Realizing that her end was drawing near, she asked her superiors to be taken to the Motherhouse in Stara Wies where she would have the chance to participate in Holy Mass and receive Communion daily. Till the end Sister Leonia persevered in her commitment of love of God, her religious community and people, with patience. 

Sister Leonia died on January 10, 1940 at the age of 36, of which 14 had been spent serving God and the needy in the Congregation of the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.

From the writings of Sister Leonia Maria:

"I have believed in the eternal Love."

"O, how much I desire that all in the race would hasten to Jesus; how much I desire at the price of the greatest sufferings and sacrifices to gain souls for Him."

"I conform wholly to the Will of God... Jesus lays out for me a program of living. My task is to follow it with the desire to fulfill it entirely, according to  the Will of Jesus."
 
 

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