A priest has died and four other people have been injured this Thursday, September 24, after a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen broke into the grounds of the Benedictine Abbey of Jarosław armed with a knife, in southeastern Poland.
The suspect was immediately detained and the Police are still investigating the circumstances and motive of the attack.
According to official information released by the Podkarpackie Police, the attack took place shortly before 9:30 a.m. at the religious complex located on Benedyktyńska Street.
The attacker injured five people: four men and one woman. Three of the men initially suffered injuries classified as serious.
Attack began before Mass
The superior of the Benedictines of Jarosław, Sister Barbara Dendor, explained to the Catholic agency KAI that the events occurred shortly before a Mass that was to be celebrated in the rectory church of St. Nicholas and St. Stanislaus Bishop, located next to the Center for Christian Formation and Culture within the abbey grounds.
According to her account, the attacker entered armed with a large knife and began a confrontation with one of the priests, whom he wounded. He then attacked other people who were present at the scene.
Radio FARA, a media outlet of the Archdiocese of Przemyśl, specifies that among the five victims there are three priests and two faithful who tried to provide assistance.
One of the priests died as a result of his injuries and two other people were in serious condition.
Sister Barbara explained that the nuns were not inside the church when the attack began. “We are, however, within the abbey grounds, we are neighbors. It is also a blow for us,” she stated.
The children at the kindergarten run by the Benedictines are safe.
Priest tried to stop the attacker
Testimonies collected during the first hours allow a partial reconstruction of what happened. According to the superior of the Benedictines, one of the priests reacted to the attack and tried to stop the armed man.
Father Marek Pieńkowski came out of the confessional to try to intervene and was also stabbed.
He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries and underwent surgery.
Other testimonies collected by Polish media indicate that the attack may have begun in the cafeteria area of the Center for Christian Formation and Culture before continuing toward the church, where faithful and priests were preparing for the celebration of Mass.
Father Stanisław Zbojnowicz dies
One of the injured priests, Father Stanisław Zbojnowicz, later died in the hospital as a result of the injuries he sustained.
The information has been confirmed by local church sources.
In the hours following the attack, there was considerable confusion about the number of fatalities.
Rzeszów Cathedral had also announced the death of Father Marek Pieńkowski, but later publicly corrected that information.
“An enormous amount of misinformation has arisen around today’s tragic event. Unfortunately, amid this confusion, we also transmitted erroneous information about Father Marek Pieńkowski,” the community later explained.
The priest remained in surgery and specific prayers were requested for his recovery.
Therefore, at this time the authorities and church sources confirm one fatality, not two.
Detainee is a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen
The Police have officially confirmed that the suspect is a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen.
He was detained by officers at the scene and remains in custody while investigators reconstruct what happened.
The Police are working with the Prosecutor’s Office and forensic specialists at the abbey grounds, where evidence is being collected and witnesses are being interviewed.
Some local media have reported that the man had previously arrived in Poland from Germany and had attempted to enter Ukraine before the attack, but this is information that has not been officially confirmed at this time.
The motive is still unknown
Polish authorities have not publicly established the motive for the attack.
The mayor of Jarosław, Marcin Nazarewicz, spoke in the early hours of a “probable terrorist attack” and called for increased precautions in public buildings in the city.
However, neither the Police nor the Prosecutor’s Office have confirmed that classification so far.
Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński confirmed the detention of the Ukrainian citizen and stated that the services are investigating “the motives and circumstances of the incident.”
Therefore, with the information available at this time, it cannot be stated that the attacker chose the grounds for religious reasons or that it was an attack specifically directed against the Catholic Church.
The investigation must now determine why the man went to the Benedictine complex, whether he previously knew any of the victims, and what motivated an attack that left one priest dead and four people injured.