Antonin Bajewski was a Polish Franciscan friar and priest born in Vilnius in 1915. After joining the Order of Friars Minor in 1934, he was ordained in 1939 and served as a vicar to Maximilian Kolbe. During the German occupation, both he and Kolbe were arrested. While imprisoned, Bajewski supported fellow captives by sharing his food and improving their spirits. He was eventually sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he died from typhoid fever in May 1941.
Life and death
Following his ordination, Bajewski worked closely with Maximilian Kolbe. After his arrest by German forces, he demonstrated great compassion toward other prisoners by providing them with his own rations. His efforts to maintain the morale of those around him continued until his deportation to the Auschwitz concentration camp. There, he contracted typhoid fever, which led to his death in May 1941.
Veneration
The Catholic Church recognizes him as a saint and a martyr. He was beatified in 1999 by Pope John Paul II as part of a group known as the 108 Martyrs of World War II. His feast days are observed on May 7 and June 12, the latter being the collective feast day for the group of martyrs.