Ludwik Pius Bartosik was a Polish Franciscan friar and priest who lived from 1909 to 1941. Born in Kokanin, he entered the Conventual Franciscan order in 1926 and later studied theology in Krakow. Following his ordination in 1935, he worked alongside Maximilian Kolbe to publish the journal Knight of the Immaculate. His life was cut short during the German occupation of Poland, leading to his eventual death in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Life and ministry
After joining the novitiate at age seventeen, Bartosik pursued theological studies before becoming a priest. He served as an editor for the magazine Knight of the Immaculate, collaborating with Maximilian Kolbe. Following the outbreak of war, he faced multiple arrests by occupying forces. He was held in various prisoner-of-war camps and the Pawiak prison before being transferred to Auschwitz, where he died in the camp hospital.
Veneration
He is recognized as a martyr within the Catholic Church. In 1999, Pope John Paul II beatified him in Warsaw as part of a group of 108 Polish martyrs from the Second World War. His feast day is observed on June 12.