Józef Achilles Puchała

Józef Achilles Puchała (born 18 March 1911 in Kosina - died 19 July 1943 in Borowikowszczyzna) – Polish Franciscan monk from the Niepokalanów sanctuary, tortured and killed by the Nazis during World War Two and beatified by Pope John Paul II on June 13, 1999.

At the age of 16 he was admitted to the order of Franciscans. Between 1932 and 1937 he studied philosophy and theology in Kraków. He was ordained in 1936. After completing his studies he joined the Franciscan monastery in Grodno. In 1939 he became a second vicar in Iwieniec (Ivyanets).

At the start of World War II he was moved to a nearby village as a provost of parish of St. Maria Magdalena. After the anti-Nazi uprising in Iwieniec, in June 1943 the local population was arrested by the Germans. Although Puchała had the opportunity, he did not choose to escape and instead remained with his parishioners.

"Operation Hermann" was an operation by the Nazi's targeted especially against the Catholic resistance, and in particular, Franciscan friars Józef Achilles Puchała and Karol Herman Stępień, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1999, were tortured to death by the Nazis.