Religious Figure. He was an Ukrainian Greek Catholic Priest who lost his life trying to save Jews during World War II. He was the Parish Priest in the town of Peremyshliany in Western Ukraine when the Nazis invaded the area in 1941. When Kovch learned that Jews were being deported to concentration camps and gassed, he began baptizing them and listing them as Catholics. The Gestapo discovered the deception and arrested him. He was deported to Majdenek Concentration Camp near Lublin in Poland. While at Majdenek he conducted religous services when ever possible. He was eventually sent to the gas chamber. Kovch was beatified in 2001 by Pope John Paul II.
“I understand that you are trying to free me. But I am asking you not to do anything. Yesterday they killed 50 persons here. If I were not here, who would help them to endure these sufferings? I thank God for His kindness to me. Except heaven this is the only place I would like to be. Here we are all equal: Poles, Jews, Ukrainians, Russians, Latvians and Estonians. I am the only priest here. I couldn’t even imagine what would happen here without me. Here I see God, Who is the same for everybody, regardless of religious distinctions which exist among us. Maybe our Churches are different, but they are all ruled by the same all-powerful God. When I am celebrating the Holy Mass, everyone prays … Don’t worry and don’t despair about my fate. Instead of this, rejoice with me. Pray for those who created this concentration camp and this system. They are the only ones who need prayers May God have mercy on them…”
