Saint Who?
Saints Who Worked in Agriculture
Blessed Józef and Wiktoria Ulma
and Family
Martyrs († 1944) Feast: July 7
Józef Ulma was born in Poland in 1900, the son of prosperous farmers. He was a devout young man with a wide range of interests. At twenty-nine, he went back to school to study agriculture. An enterprising farmer, he established a nursery for fruit trees, pioneered beekeeping and silkworm breeding, and built a wind-turbine for his home as a source of electricity.
In 1935 he married Wiktoria Niemczak. An amateur actress, she shared his love for the arts. The couple worked hard and purchased a farm on the outskirts of Markowa. Six children—Stanisława, Barbara, Władysław, Franciszek, Antoni, and Maria—were born between 1936 and 1942. Józef loved photography, and there are a number of family photos documenting their family life, and the activity on and around their farm.
By 1944, Wiktoria was pregnant with their seventh child. World War II was raging, and the Nazis threatened death to anyone who helped Jews. Some unfriendly eyes noticed that the Ulms were buying a very large amount of food. One night, as Wiktoria was about to deliver her baby, a raid on their home revealed eight Jews. The entire family was shot in retaliation. In 2023, Józef and Wiktoria and their seven children were beatified. Their feast commemorates the parents’ wedding anniversary: July 7.
All-wise Father, through the prayers and example of
the Ulmas, grant joy and generosity to our families.
