catholicmartyrs - Fr. Constantine Budkevich

Constantine Romuald Budkevich was born on June 19th 1867, in Kraslava district (Latvia). He was graduated from the seminary and then from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. In 1893 Budkevich was ordained as priest. He also held a Doctoral degree in theology. Fr. Budkevich served in Pskov, Vitebsk, then in the parish of St. Catherine in St. Petersburg. In 1905 he became its dean. In 1908 he was appointed as dean of the St. Petersburg deanery and in 1918 as a prelate. He was an outstanding public figure and organizer, especially in the field of parish education in St. Petersburg and its region. He was also engaged in charity and organized the clergy to defend the rights of faithful. In 1918 he took an active part in the liberation of metropolitan Eduard Ropp, who had been arrested by the Soviet authorities. From 1922 onwards Budkevich was a professor at the underground seminary. Metropolitan E. Ropp and archbishop J. Tseplak often assigned him to carry on negotiations with the Soviet authorities about the rights of Catholic Church. Budkevich refused to secretly leave the USSR because he didn’t want “the Bolsheviks to revenge upon the other priests”. On 13th March 1923, he was arrested together with archbishop Tseplak and some other priests. On 26th March 1923, he was sentenced to be shot. Fr. Budkevich was shot on 31st March / 1st April 1923, on the Holy Saturday night.

Fr. Constantine was ready to accept martyrdom for the faith. In the letter of an agent of the GPU, who was present at the execution, to the advocate of Budkevich, has been told that the dean has written in advance a letter to the Pope, that he was completely unworried and addressed to the agent with such words: “I ask you to communicate my last greeting to archbishop Tseplak to bear witness to him that to the last minute I have remained faithful to the Apostolic See.” After he had said these words he was shot in the head. According to the second version of the events “at the place of execution the prelate crossed himself, blessed his executioner and his two assistants, and turned towards the wall, beginning to whisper the words of a prayer. The executioner's bullet cut short his prayer”.

The prayer for the beatification of the Servant of God Fr. Constantine Budkevich

O God Almighty, Your Son suffered on the Cross and died for the salvation of people.
Imitating Him, Your Servant father Constantine Budkevich loved You from the bottom of his heart, served You faithfully during the persecutions and devoted his life to the Church. Make him known in the assembly of Your blessed, so that the example of his faithfulness and love would shine before the whole world. I pray to You through his intercession, hear my request …………………………………through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The prayer has to be used in private, as well as in public, out of the Holy Mass.
+ Archbishop Thaddeus Kondrusiewich, St. Petersburg 05.04.2004
Postulator asks to inform about the graces received through the mediation of the Servant of God.
Address: Fr. Bronislav Chaplicki, 1st Krasnoarmyskaya, D. 11, 198005, St. Petersburg, Russia