In the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Legnica, filled to capacity, the funeral ceremony of Rev. Prof. Władysław Bochnak was held on Wednesday, November 5. The deceased, who died on Saturday, November 1, had served for many years as the cathedral parish priest, was an honorary citizen of Legnica and a scholar. He was mourned by Church hierarchs, including the Bishop of Legnica, Zbigniew Kiernikowski, as well as clergy, local government officials, representatives of services and institutions, and crowds of the faithful.
The funeral ceremony was presided over by the Bishop of Legnica, who emphasized that the deceased had been a good shepherd, an outstanding scholar and administrator of the cathedral.
Bidding farewell to the Monsignor, Mayor Tadeusz Krzakowski recalled that, as the city’s leader, he had worked with Rev. Władysław Bochnak for many years. The mayor said, among other things:
A highlander by birth. A resident of Legnica by choice. A priest by vocation. If humility is the measure of a person’s greatness, then He was great. He loved the Church. He loved his parish. He loved the city. He left an indelible mark on the city’s memory. […]
For many years, we were neighbors. I was at City Hall. He was at the parish house and in the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, which he consistently guided toward cathedral status. It was His work. He was the one who invited us all to help prepare the historic pilgrimage of the Holy Father John Paul II to Legnica.
Monsignor Władysław Bochnak has been an Honorary Citizen of Legnica for ten years. Today, we honor Him for loving the city and for hurrying to love people.
He made it in time.
The Monsignor was laid to rest in the crypt of Legnica Cathedral. More information and photographs are available on the Legnica City Hall website.
UM Legnica/ii