The Ukrainian Catholic Bishops' Synod has proclaimed 23 January as the official Church commemoration of the Martyrs of Pratulin. Vincent Lewoniuk and his 12 companions, as these martyrs are also called, were declared Servants of God by the Holy Father on 6 October 1996. These were Ukrainian Catholics living ina part of Ukraine which now a part of Poland. They were murdered by troops of Tsar Alexander II, defending their Church.
Ukrainian Catholics in this region were persecuted. During the persecutions they manifested strength in the faith. The persecutions were carefully organised by Russian authorities; very often they were very violent The Russian tsars wanted to deslroy the Ukrainian Catholic Church and they were doing so progressively. In 1794 the tsarina Catherine II liquidated the Ukrainian Church in Ukaine. In 1839 tsar Nicholas I liquidated the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Belorussia and in Lithuania according to the rule cuius regio eius religio' -the religion of the region will be followed. Russian authorities were afiaid that the Ukrainian Catholic C hurch wouJd be an obstacle in ther ussitication process and in the domination over Ukrainians.
The 'tsar's administration planned the liquidation of the Church in the Eparchy of Cholm too. Tsar Alexander II signed _ a document on this subject in January , 1874. The acceptance of this directive by the believers should be understood as a consent to join the Orthodox Chwch. A little earlier the bishop and the priests who did not want to join the Or1hodox Church had been deported to Siberia or put into prison. So the believers, remaining alone, without their pastors, had to defend their church, their Liturgy and they had to defend the Unity with , the Pope. For such a defence they had to pay a very high price: sometimes they had to die, very often they lost their , property.
On 24 January 1874 an extraordinay event took place in PratuIin. Soldiers came to the village to transfer the local church to the Orthodox Church. The believers said 'good bye' to their families and fiiends and put on new clothes for, as they said, they were going to fight for holy things.
In.the beginning the officer in charge tried to make the people go away, but they did not agree. Then he promised some 'graces of the tsar' for joining the Orthodox Church, but they did not agree cither, then he started to threaten the people with many kinds of punislunents, but they remained on their position around the church. The officer understood that in this way he would be not able to do anything, so he ordered his men to prepare the guns. The people knelt down waiting for death and started to sing the religious hymns. They did not swear at the soldiers; among themselves they were saying: 'it is good to die for the faith. The order was given and the soldiers fired.
In this way on 24 January 1874 in Pratulin 13 persons gave. their lives for the Unity of the Church. They were: Vincent Lewoniuk ftom the village Woroblin,, 25 years old, married; he was very pious. Opinion was that he was a very good person; he was killed first. Daniel Karmasz from the village Legi, 48 years old, married; durrng the fight he had the cross in his hand. This cross is still in the church in Pratulin. Luke Bojko from the village Legi 22 years old, not married; it was said that he was very pious, he was respected by the people; during the attack he rang the church bell. Constantine Bojko from the village of Zaczopki, 49 yearis old, married; he was a farmer, he was regarded as a righteous man. Constantine Lukaszuk from the village of Zaczopki, 45 years old, married; he was respected by the people, he was wounded and died the next day. He left his wife and seven children. Bar1thoIomew Osypiuk from the village of Bohukaly, 30 years old, married, with two children; he was wounded, they transported him home, but died. He was very pious and honest; before death he prayed for the persecutors. Anieet Hryciuk from the village Zaczopki 19 years old, not married; he was very close to the Church. Going to the defence of the parish church he said; 'perhaps I will be worthy to be killed for the faith?'. Philip Geryluk from the village Zaczopki, 44 yeas old, married; the opinion was that he was a good father of his family. He encouraged the others to stay by the church; he was killed. Ignatius Franczuk fiom the village DerIo, 50 years old, married. He was father of seven children; the name of his wife was Helena. He educated his children in the spirit of the faith, going to the defence of the church he said 'good bye' to his family; he was prepared.not to come back home. After the death of Daniel he took the cross and encouraged the people to defend the parish church. He was wounded, then transported home, but quickly died. Ivan Andrejuk from the village Derlo, 26 years old, married; the narne of his wife was Mary. They had two children; he was,a cantor, in. the parish church. He was_wounded then transported home, but quickly died. Maksym Hawryluk fiom the village Derlo, 34 years old; married; the name of his wife was Dominica. He ,was wounded and died the next. day. Onufry Wawsyluk from the village of Derlo, he was.21 years old, married; he was known as a very good Catholic. Michael Wawryszuk from the village of DerIo, he was 21 years old, not married; he worked on tbe farm of Mr. Pavlo Pidkula. He was wounded and.died the next day.
So Vincent Lewoniuk and his 12 Companions were men ranging in age from 19 to 50 years. They were ordinary people; we do not, have much information about their lives. We possess some stories about them from their contemporaries. The defence of the parnh church is not to be regarded as an accidental event, as effect of an enthusiasm which last for a short time; there was no intention to become a hero at any price. The courageous defence of the church was the fruit of a mature and deep faith. Those people understood very well the sense of giving their lives for Jesus Christ: to give one's life away, is to have it in fullness. The Martyrs ftom Pratuiin are very similar to the martyrs of the early Church who gave their lives for Christ during the persecutions. The Martyrs of Pratulin were buried by the Russian soldiers without any respect; their families were not allowed to take part in the burial. Their bodies were put into the earth and the persecutors wanted the martyrs to be forgotten. But the people living in Pratulin did not forget about their martyrs; they kept in memory the place in which they were buried even if there, were no tombstones. After, the liberation of that part of the world in 1918 the remains of their bodies were taken to the parish church. Such a martyrdom was not a sporadic event in Pidlasie. Since January 1874, every parish of the Ukrainian Catholic Church has had its story of martyrdom. The tsar officially liquidated the diocese of Cholm in 1875. Ukrainian Catholics were taken by force into the Orthodox Church. Ukrainian Catholics did not accept this. They kept their: fidelity to the See of Petter and for thiis :fidelity they paid a very high price: some of them were sent to Siberia; some of them were taken to prison, some of them were punished in other ways.
In many parishes tbere weie victims of the persecutions; but the most hhistorical documents concernt the Martyrs from Prtulin. Because of that, they were chosen , to be beatified as the representatives of all people who in Pidlasie gave their lives for the faith and for the Unity with the Catholic Church. The persons who were killed, in Pratulin and in, other parishes of Pidlasie were regarded from the beginning as martyrs. for the faith by, their families and friends, by the parishioner, by the local Church of Pidlasie, and finally by the whole Catholic Church.
The Popes Pius IX, Leo XIII, Pius XII honoured the Martyrs of Pidlasie. The Martyrs have contributed a lot to the survival of the faith to the people of this part of the country. For this reason Pope John Paul II has said that the Marturs of Pidlasie are a very importan chapter of the history of the church and that he keeps them in his heart. For the Church of our time the Marturs of Pidlasie are a sign and exampled of mature faith; they can teach us how to put the Kingdom of God in the first placein our lives, how to love the Church and the Pope who was always a father and defender for them. These Maryturs, even if they lived in the past, show to contemporary Catholics the meaning of the Apostleship of laypersons in the Church, they could be an example of responsibility for the society in the spirit of faith, they could teach us the respect for God's Law.
See also Pope John Paul II - Visit To Ukraine - Ukrainian Religous Heroes
Martyrs of Prytulin