Pratulin Martyrs

The Martyrs of Pratulin (Polish: męczennicy podlascy ) were a group of thirteen faithful of the united with the Roman Catholic Church Greek Catholic Church. They were shot on January 24, 1874 in the village Pratulin near Biała Podlaska by Russian troops of Tsar Alexander II and are worshiped in the Catholic Church as martyrs.

The Martyrs of Pratulin were farmers 19-50 years of age. The Church united with Rome, to which they belonged, was regarded by Russia as a threat, because you harbored the fear that the Roman Catholic Church would oppose the government 's main goals, namely the Russification and exploitation of the population. 1847 was arranged that in the at that time not yet destroyed churches of the Uniate Orthodox liturgy had to be celebrated.

The Martyrs of Pratulin refused to celebrate the Mass according to the liturgy of the Russian Orthodox Church were praying and shot in front of the Church of Pratulin. 180 more community members were injured and arrested about 80.

The thirteen martyrs who were beatified on October 6, 1996 by Pope John Paul II, were Anicet Hryciuk, Bartholomew Osypiuk, Łukasz Boyko, Boyko Konstanty, Konstanty Łukaszuk, Onufry Wasyluk, Daniel Karmasz, Wincenty Lewoniuk, Jan Andrzejuk, Michał Wawryszuk, Maksym Hawryluk, Filip Geryluk and Ignacy Frańczuk.

The mortal remains of the thirteen martyrs were transferred on 18 May 1990 in the parish church of Pratulin in Ukraine. The commemoration of the martyrs of Pratulin in the liturgy of the Catholic Church is the 24th of January.