STOJAŃCE - SĄDOWA WISZNIA

Father   Jan   Biega

There have been several priests in the Biega families, Bill's great-uncle Henryk Marian , among others. This article features Father Jan, who was the parish priest of Stojańce, near Sądowa Wiśnia where he died in 1908 and where he is buried.

Not much is known about Father Jan Biega. He was the son of Stanisław Biega. It is not certain but he is probably the Jan noted under ref #140 in the tabulation of births in Dębna. In 1867 he became the vicar at the church in Zagórz. near Sanok. From 1869 to 1876 he was the parish priest there. Then in 1876 he became parish priest in Stojańce, a village close to Sądowa Wisznia ( now Sudowa Vyshnya in Ukrainian), halfway between Przemyśl and Lwów (now Lviv). He enlarged the small 18th. century village church to its present size. He died 30 September 1908 and is buried in the cemetery.

Stojańce - Stoyantsi

A small village about 5km south-west of Sądowa Wisznia. Population about 200, virtually all Polish residents were resettled during the Soviet occupation. The present population is mostly Ukrainian. The Roman-Catholic church of Our Lady of Holy Scapular was devastated during the Soviet occupation, being used for storing farm machinery. The venerated picture of the Holy Mother that was behind the altar (seen in this 1925 photo) was rescued and is now in the church at Powidzko, north of Wrocław in Silesia. By the efforts of Poles from the vicinity, mostly from Sudowa Vyshnya, the interior has been partly restored. Mass is celebrated on an irregular basis by priests from area towns.

Sądowa Wisznia - Sudowa Vyshnya

This small town, population about 6,000, lies on the main railway line Cracow - Przemysl - Lviv. Now in Western Ukraine, a few miles from the Polish border, it is older than the provincial capital Lviv, because it was established in the early 13th century. In the 16th and 17th centuries, meetings of the local parliament (sejmik) of the Ruthenian province (ruskie województwo) took place here.
On the 16th September 1939, a Polish army unit, supported by planes, defeated a German SS armored brigade. However the following day Soviet forces entered Poland thus ending any hope of resistance against the German and Soviet invaders.
During the Nazi occupation nearly all of the 1,500 Jews of Sądowa Wisznia were killed. Several Jewish children were saved by Polish and Ukrainian nuns.
During the early Soviet occupation many of the Polish population were transported to Siberia. After the war most of the remaining Poles were resettled to western Poland. Only about 300 Poles remain today and maintain a lively organization.

Thanks to Roman Wojcicki from Sądowna Wisznia for information and photos.

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