Blessed Marianna died in 1943 and was among the 108 Polish martyrs beatified by St. John Paul II in 1999. They were murdered by the Nazi Party, which had no regard for the sanctity of life. When her son Stanislaw and his wife Anna, who was pregnant, were about to be executed, Marianna voluntarily took the place of Anna, so she and her baby could live. Her Feast Day is June 12.
Blessed Marianna,
We praise God for the gift of life.
We thank the Lord Jesus Christ, victor over death,
Whose glory shines so clearly
In your courageous act of sacrifice
For your daughter-in-law
And your unborn grandchild.
We thank you for standing up
Against a godless political party
That disrespected human life
And was committed to killing the innocent.
You put your life on the line
Just as Jesus taught us to do
Out of love for all our brothers and sisters,
Born and unborn.
Pray for us today,
Who likewise battle a godless, anti-life political party
And a culture of death
That throws human life away.
Obtain for us from God
That love by which we can lay down our lives for others
And find the life that is eternal,
And that comes through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Blessed Marianna, pray for us!
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life