A Catholic priest has died and four other people were wounded after a man armed with a knife attacked people at a Benedictine abbey in southeastern Poland, authorities confirmed Thursday.
The attack occurred on the morning of Sept. 24 at the Benedictine Sisters’ Abbey in Jarosław, a city in southeastern Poland near the Ukrainian border.
According to the Jarosław District Police, officers received a report at approximately 9:30 a.m. that a man had been attacked with a knife on the grounds of the abbey on Benedyktyńska Street. Police said officers arrested a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen at the scene.
Preliminary findings indicated that five people — four men and one woman — were wounded. All five were transported to hospitals, with three of the men suffering serious injuries, according to police.
Polish prosecutors later confirmed that one of the victims died from his injuries after being taken to the hospital. The District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemyśl said investigators and forensic specialists were working to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack and secure evidence from the scene.
The priest who died was identified in Polish reports as Father Stanisław Zbojnowicz. According to Notes from Poland, citing Rzeszów Cathedral, three of the five victims were priests, while the other two were laypeople. Two of the surviving victims were reported to be in serious condition.
The superior of the Benedictine Sisters’ monastery, Sister Barbara Dendor, told Polish media that Father Zbojnowicz had been hearing confessions when the attack began. According to her account, the priest left the confessional and attempted to close the gates to protect others before he was attacked.
The incident unfolded shortly before a scheduled 10 a.m. Mass, according to reports cited by LifeSiteNews. The attacker reportedly obtained a knife from a kitchen within the abbey complex before attacking a priest near a café area and then entering the church, where additional people were wounded.
Initial reports created confusion over the number of priests who had died. Rzeszów Cathedral initially announced that two priests had died before correcting the statement. The cathedral apologized for the error “and for the pain it may have caused.” Subsequent reports and Polish authorities confirmed one death.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that the suspect was a Ukrainian citizen and had been taken into police custody.
“He will be punished to the full extent of the Polish law,” Tusk said, according to LifeSiteNews. “I join with the loved ones of the victims of this brutal attack in their suffering.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also condemned the attack. In a statement published in Polish, he said, “We are shocked by this evil,” adding that the perpetrator “must bear full responsibility in accordance with the applicable law.”
According to Polish prosecutors cited by Notes from Poland, the suspect had entered Poland from Germany during the early hours of Thursday and was apparently traveling toward the Korczowa border crossing with Ukraine. He did not cross the border and instead ended up in Jarosław. Investigators said blood samples were taken for testing for alcohol and narcotics.
Authorities have not announced a motive for the attack.
The Przemyśl prosecutor’s office said investigators are continuing to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the violence and collect evidence.
The deadly attack has left the Catholic community mourning a priest who, according to the monastery superior’s account, moved toward the danger in an effort to protect those gathered at the abbey.
Catholics are asked to pray for the repose of the soul of Father Stanisław Zbojnowicz, for the recovery of those who were wounded, and for the Benedictine community and all those affected by the tragedy.
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