New Martyr
Gregory Leończuk
An Orthodox believer of Zaleszany in Podlasie, killed in 1946 together with other villagers.
- Reposed
- 194620th century
- Place
- Zaleszany
- Order
- Martyrs
Life
Holy New Martyr Gregory Leończuk was an Orthodox believer of the village of Zaleszany in Podlasie, Poland, killed in 1946.
On 29 January 1946 a detachment of the National Military Union (NZW) under Romuald Rajs, known as "Bury", entered the Orthodox village of Zaleszany in Podlasie. The villagers were called to a house and the buildings were then set on fire; sixteen people died, fourteen of them burned alive, among them seven children.
He belonged to the Leończuk family, which suffered cruelly that day: a one-year-old child died in the fire, and a newborn of a few days was killed as well.
The Council of Bishops of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church counted him among the 79 Podlasie martyrs proclaimed on 25 July 2020 at the monastery of Saint Catherine in Zaleszany. They are remembered on the last Saturday of July, the day of the Zaleszany Icon of the Mother of God.