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Karolina Kózka
Polish martyr (1898–1914)
BlessedResearchedPoland
Feast: 18 November (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
2 August 1898
verified
Died
18 November 1914
verified
Beatified
10 June 1987
by John Paul II, at Tarnów
Canonised
—
not yet
Who they were
Karolina Kózka was born on 2 August 1898 at Wał-Ruda, near Tarnów, Poland, to a poor peasant family. Guided by her spiritual director, she took an active part in parish life and taught the catechism to her brothers and sisters and the neighbours' children.
On 18 November 1914, in the First World War, she was seized by a Russian soldier and dragged into the forest. She resisted his assault and was killed: she was sixteen.
The miracles
As a martyr, beatified without a miracle.
Why that counted as sanctity
A peasant girl and catechist who died defending her purity.
Connected on this site
- Maria Goretti Saint“Kózka is often referred to as the "Polish Maria Goretti" due to the manner of her death.” — Wikipedia
Sources
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - biography: Carolina Kózka
- Wikidata Q2537197 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Karolina Kózka (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.