Shortly before the assassination on the same day, Jerzy Popieà Âuszko, a 37-year-old Roman Catholic priest, led a rosary mass during his final hours and his last public appearance. At that time, he celebrated the evening Rosary Devotions and Holy Mass in the Church of the Holy Polish Brothers Martyrs in Bydgoszcz at about six o'clock. The rosary was meditated in the sorrowful mysteries.
When Alfons (Father Jerzy) served two years of military service (from 1966 to 1968), he was bullied along with other seminarians and was punished for refusing to destroy his rosary. After being beaten, Alfons was made to stand barefoot for hours in the snow. However, he overcame fear as this harsh treatment made him stronger. Alfons, and the rest of the seminarians, were praying the rosary in the barracks. Alfons was ordained a priest in 1972 by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyà Âski, as he changed his name to Jerzy during the seminary. He was sent to a Warsaw parish as he became a popular chaplain to young people. As Father Jerzy's frail health helped to emphasize with the sick and he was a familiar sight at the local hospital, he established a rosary group. The rosary group he established prayed and collected gifts from the poor.
Father Jerzy was invited to a prayer meeting, along with four other priests including Father Jerzy Osià Âski and Father Henryk Jankowski, and it was held by the pastoral care workers association in Bydgoszcz. Instead of preaching sermon, he instead delivered a meditation on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, despite warnings especially from a communist-led government that it would lead to serious consequences. These are sorrowful mysteries that Father Jerzy contemplated.
His well-known last word of the rosary is also quoted in the original language, Polish, as "Módlmy siÃÂ, byà Âmy byli wolni od lÃÂku, zastraszenia, ale przede wszystkim od à ¼Ã dzy odwetu i przemocy." The last rosary also has an audio recording of it.
The rosary, led by Father Jerzy, was meditated in sorrowful mysteries focusing on values including the dignity of the child of God, justice, truth, courage, and non violence. There were around 5,000 people who attended the Mass. After rosary meditation service and in the parish house, which it was Father Jerzy's last appearance, Father Jerzy met the representatives of the people's work community and was offered to stay overnight in Bydgoszcz, but he declined because he was feeling unwell and had a fever. Then one of the priests secretly informed Father Jerzy about his journey to the secret police.
In addition to the overview of the last rosary led by Father Jerzy, the term "spiritual testament" that describes the last rosary of Father Jerzy was called by Father Franciszek Blachnicki. Late archbishop Wyszyà Âski, responding to the last rosary, suggested that not many people tell the truth, but Christ chose few of them to proclaim it. While Christ is the one who chooses few people to proclaim the truth, on the other hand, lying is always numerous because lie is "petty and mercantile." According to Archbishop Józef Kowalczyk, Father Jerzy cried out to the Blessed Virgin Mary in response to those who were tormented and were often facing with "anxiety, distress, and brokenness" especially by the communist government. Then Archbishop Kowalczyk added that maintaining dignity is a way to multiply good and conquer evil as well as being guided by justice stemming from truth, love, and from God himself. Regarding his reflections in 1984 Archbishop Kowalczyk recalled, he also added that because of the virtue of courage, overcoming evil is possible and overcomes weakness in humans, including caring for courage between both government and the citizens. In addition to virtue of courage and weakness in humans, if a citizen abandons the virtue of courage, "they become a slave" and is subjected to harm not only themself, but their family, professional group, the nation, the state, and the Church. Antoni Tokarczuk reflected on how Father Jerzy was not involved in drama, but was focused on prayer. He then quoted:
Father Romuald Biniak, a parish priest whom he previously knew Father Jerzy from the media including newspapers, reflected that Father Jerzy was not involved in politics and did not encourage others to act up on violence, but declared that overcoming evil with good helps "remain faithful to the truth." In addition to him knowing Father Jerzy in newspapers, Father Biniak also stated that the church was quiet during the meditation. Jan Rulewski, a former Solidarity activist who attended Father Jerzy's Mass in Bydgoszcz, suggested that the service was âÂÂnecessary to build faith." Czesà Âawa Mieszkowska quoted responding to those attending Mass did not hide their emotion: "Few people experience knowing a saint during his lifetime. I may not have had direct contact with Blessed Father Jerzy Popieà Âuszko, but I attended his Mass. I am familiar with his rosary meditations and other homilies. He is the patron saint of our hospice; we can turn to him and pray to him. This is very important."
Four of the Security Service agentsâÂÂGrzegorz Piotrowski, Leszek PÃÂkala, Waldemar ChmielewskiâÂÂwere attending Mass with Father Jerzy celebrating. Piotrowski was inside the church. On the other hand, PÃÂkala and Chmielewski were waiting outside in a car.
On 7 June 1999, Pope John Paul II spoke on the Bydgoszcz meadows, quoted:
In front of the parish of the Church of the Holy Polish Brothers Martyrs in Bydgoszcz, the exhibition, created by Dr. Katarzyna Maniewska, was officially opened, which emphasizes the "timeliness of Father Jerzy's message."
The Bydgoszcz reliquary, a bronze sculpture of Blessed Father Jerzy by artist Gracjan Kajka, illustrates the priest kneeling beneath a cross, which the upper part contains relics surrounded by crown of thorns. Alongside, the sanctuary received two capsules containing relics: one of capsules was permanently placed in the sculpture, and the other one in a portable reliquary.