(ZENIT News / Czestochowa, 02.25.2025).- A deep sense of grief has settled over the parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Kłobuck, a small town near Czestochowa, Poland. The community is reeling from the shocking murder of their longtime pastor, Father Grzegorz Dymek, whose life was cut short in a brutal act of violence last week.
The 58-year-old priest was found strangled in the parish house on the evening of Thursday, February 13. Concerned neighbors raised the alarm around 7:00 p.m. after hearing disturbing cries from inside the rectory. When police arrived, they discovered the lifeless body of Father Dymek and apprehended a man attempting to flee the scene.
The suspect, a 52-year-old former police officer who had been dismissed from the force in 2001 for disciplinary reasons, was taken into custody and immediately confessed to the crime. However, he did not offer any explanation for his actions. An autopsy later confirmed that the priest had died of asphyxiation.
A Priest Who Built More Than Just a Church
Father Dymek was more than just a parish priest—he was the foundation upon which the faith community of Our Lady of Fatima was built. Since 1998, he had dedicated his life to establishing and leading the parish, overseeing the construction of the church and serving the congregation for over two decades. His sudden and violent death has left a profound void among those who knew him.
«The news of Father Grzegorz’s passing was met with disbelief and sorrow throughout our presbytery,» wrote Archbishop Wacław Depo of Czestochowa in a letter to the faithful. «The circumstances of his death remain under investigation by the authorities, and we hope that the full truth behind this tragic event will soon come to light.»
The archbishop urged people to approach the tragedy with a spirit of Christian hope. «Let us pray for Father Grzegorz, for the grieving parish he left behind, and even for the one who took his life. May God, in His infinite mercy, grant him the grace of repentance and conversion.»
On Friday, February 21, Archbishop Depo led the solemn funeral Mass for Father Dymek, attended by parishioners, fellow clergy, and friends who gathered to bid farewell to the priest who had shaped their spiritual lives. He was laid to rest in the local cemetery, leaving behind a grieving but faithful community determined to honor his memory.
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