Will Franciszek Stefczyk Be The First Saint From the Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies Movement?

In a move that could further raise the profile savings and credit societies and encourage the spirit of public good in the cooperative movement worldwide, Polish savings and credit cooperative societies are seeking sainthood for  the pioneer of the movement in Poland.

Simple Life

The pioneer, Franciszek Stefczyk was a teacher in a rural school in Polish. Despite his humble background, he started Poland’s first credit unions – known in Kenya as saccos – in the early 20th century, none of which survived World War II and the subsequent Soviet-dominated period.

According to records, Franciszek Stefczyk wanted to bring financial relief to the poor. He therefore created Stefczyk Fund, to weaken the usury of then existing financial institutions and to give the poor access to cheap, affordable credit. “He devoted his life to the poor and to God,” a Catholic priest who has done extensive research on the pioneer, wrote.

“This is proved by obituaries after his death and funeral, among the others. Telling about this event, I want to note that it would be good if Poland had a new Blessed man who is so particularly connected with the human poverty.”

Beatification

Beatification, which often takes years to be made, is based on specific criteria established by the Roman Catholic Church. In Kenya, we are only aware of it by the efforts of Kenyan Catholic Bishops to have late Cardinal Otunga who lived an austere life and led the Catholic Church in Kenya for many years. On retirement, he lived among the poor in a home for the aged in Nairobi.

Martyr

But the most famous of recent saints is Ugandan Saint Kizito  (1872 – June 3, 1886).  He was the youngest of Ugandan Christians murdered by the King Mwanga II of Buganda. He was burned alive in 1886 and was canonized on 18 October 1964 by Pope Paul VI.  In total, King Mwanga killed 22 young men and boys who have all been canonized.

Poles pushing for the canonization of Franciszek Stefczyk have described him as a man who “had an eminent personality, setting the example for Poles. He was a man who, through his personal example, showed how the Gospel can be put into practice.”