Francis Bialecki

There is no account of place or date of the birth of Franciszek (Francis) Bialecki, the father of Mother Columba. His death certificate shows he died in 1855 at the age of 69, so we can assume he was born around 1786. It is likely that he was from the House of Bialecki in the Jelita family.

Sr. Benvenuta Pasławska, in the earliest biography of Mother Columba, writes, “… he was a man of faith; with a love of the Church, and dedicated to his homeland and family. He had a fatherly heart for his servants. Hospitality and cordiality for all guests, religious guests in particular, was his hallmark. When the Jesuit Order was dissolved in Galicia in 1848, the house of Francis Bialecki became a shelter for many of its members.”

His faith and love for the Church can be witnessed by his country manor, furnished with a chapel where Mass was often celebrated.

Francis Bialecki died in Lviv on February 17, 1855 and was buried in Lychakiv Cemetery.