103rd Anniversary of the Battle
Co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund
"Memory Lives On"
September 16, 2023
September 16, 2023 is another date in our calendar of memories, where Memory Endures. Despite all the adversities that may stand in our way to abandon memory, to forget. It does not want to give way, this Memory that is independent of circumstances.
Another, second year of war in Ukraine would like to take away our opportunity to Remember what is rooted in the heart, does not allow us to forget the most important things – Remember those who sacrificed their lives on Dytiatyn Hill. And we, invariably, continue to leave our flowers, candles and thoughts there, together with them.
This year's celebrations, as every year, began with a solemn Mass at the War Cemetery in Dytiatyn. The Mass was presided over by the Provincial Minister of the Province of St. Anthony and Blessed James Strzemię of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (Franciscans) in Kraków, Fr. Marian Gołąb. This solemn, central point of this ceremony always focuses our thoughts on something more. On life, on death, and on meaning. Did their struggle at this site make sense? Was giving their lives in the name of their values a good decision? Perhaps many of those present at the ceremony had similar questions in their minds. It does make sense. A good decision is not always beneficial from our perspective, but it bears fruit, fruit for others, good fruit for future generations. Recalling the words of Fr. Stanisław Kawa, Custodian of the Custody of St. The Cross in Ukraine, which he delivered to the participants gathered at the Dytiatyn Cemetery, will be heard: "We gather here in the second year of Russia's war against Ukraine, in the place where Bolshevik troops were stopped 103 years ago. Once again, our Nation is fighting the same enemy. We have just heard a fragment of the Gospel, in which Jesus' words about a good and a bad tree, about a good and a bad builder are recorded. Every tree is known by its fruit, and a builder by the building it builds." Guided by the Gospel comparison, we see that fruit, although sometimes difficult to accept, when it builds, is good fruit. The merits and hardships of the soldiers who ultimately gave their lives, but built faith, steadfastness, fortitude, and an independent Homeland in their compatriots. These are the highest values, though forgotten by many today. Continuing with the words of the homily delivered by Father Stanisław Kawa, we read:
"We come to the graves of our heroes to thank them for their courage, to pray for their salvation, but not only that. We come so that their sacrifice may not be in vain. Therefore, we need to learn something, we need to change something in our lives. We must be wiser and demand justice and love from those in power."
words of the homily delivered by Father Stanisław Kawa.
These words remind us that these values, though many would consider forgotten, outdated, must be cultivated, upheld, and protected in our lives. The fruit we bear, with our lives for others, is the most important value passed on to future generations. At the end of his homily, the Custos of the Custody of the Holy Cross recalled a passage from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's book "The Fortress," which wrote: "Sadness is always born of time passing by without leaving fruit." The heroes of Dytiatyn left fruit, fruit that took their lives but gave life to many others. Therefore, our Memory endures and will continue to endure.
As every year, letters addressed to the participants of the event were also read at the Dytiatyn commemorations. Jan Dziedziczak, Secretary of State and Government Plenipotentiary for the Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad, delivered his message. In his letter, he recalled: "It is our duty, in the name of defending the values of the civilized world – freedom, solidarity, the rights of states and nations to territorial integrity and self-determination – to oppose this aggression in every possible way, together with Ukraine and democratic countries." This important thought guided the heroic actions of the heroes who fell at Dytiatyn. The battle that took place on its fields is a constant reminder that hard work and the steadfast defense of one's values bring victory for the future. In a letter from the Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, Elżbieta Witek, we heard: "The great heroism and sacrifice of Captain Jan Gabryś's battalion in the Battle of Dytiatyn in 1920 deserves the highest recognition and the memory of generations. The love of homeland, courage, and determination of a handful of soldiers who resisted the overwhelming forces of the Bolshevik invader to the last drop of their blood saved larger Polish units from defeat and thus influenced the further course of warfare in the Eastern Borderlands." Therefore, our memory endures and will continue to endure, passed down through commemorations and remembrance to all future generations.
After the reading of the letters and words of reflection, those gathered for the ceremony had the opportunity to lay flowers and light candles at the plaques bearing the names of the fallen heroes. Perhaps many of these people lit a candle, remembering the excerpt from Secretary of State Andrzej Dera's letter read a moment ago:
"Today we bow before their sacrifice, believing that the legend of the battles on Dytiatyn Hill will be remembered by future generations."
excerpt from a letter from Secretary of State Andrzej Dera.
Official delegations from state and church institutions, laying flowers, paid their respects before the monument to the fallen with the greatest reverence. This symbolic gesture, a gesture of remembrance, and the symbol of light that hovered over Dytiatyn Hill for hours after the commemorations concluded, symbolizes a memory that transcends time. The past 100 years have not changed anything in the minds of those who wish to remember.
May this memory live on!
Glory to the Heroes!
