In a nation where faith and family values form the bedrock of society, the recent developments surrounding Fr. Michał Olszewski have left many Poles shocked and heartbroken. Fr. Olszewski, who has been detained since March, is now facing an extended period of imprisonment under controversial circumstances. On Thursday evening, in an emotional interview on TV Republika, Grażyna Olszewska, the mother of Fr. Olszewski, shared her pain and helplessness after seeing her son for the first time in nearly six months.
Grażyna Olszewska’s Heartbreaking Account of Her Son’s Unjust Imprisonment
The interview, conducted by Danuta Holecka, has struck a chord with many Poles who believe that the priest is being unjustly targeted. Grażyna Olszewska’s words were not only a testimony to her personal agony but also a poignant reminder of how the Polish justice system can break individuals, especially those who stand up for their beliefs.
During the interview, Mrs. Olszewska could not contain her grief as she recalled her first encounter with her son after months of silence and isolation. She described the painful moment they saw each other, separated by a plexiglass barrier, unable to embrace. “This meeting began very emotionally, with tears and silence. We touched hands through the plexiglass,” she said, her voice breaking. “He is not the same person; this is not him. He is damaged, gaunt, and terrified. The terror in his eyes. I will carry that image to the grave.”
New Charges and Extended Detention: Is Fr. Michał Olszewski a Victim of Political Persecution?
Fr. Michał Olszewski, who has been behind bars since March, was initially set to be released. However, in a last-minute move, the court levied a new charge against him, prolonging his temporary detention for another three months. This act, seen by many as an unjust abuse of power, suggests that those in positions of authority are willing to bend the rules to achieve their desired outcome. The priest, along with two officials from the Ministry of Justice, are accused in a case related to the Fundusz Sprawiedliwości (Justice Fund), yet details remain murky. The timing of the new charges has led to growing suspicion and concern over whether this is a politically motivated attack on a man of faith.
Full Interview with Grażyna Olszewska: A Mother’s Heartbreaking Story of Her Son’s Unjust Imprisonment
Below, we publish the full interview with Mrs. Grażyna Olszewska, the mother of Fr. Michał Olszewski, as aired on TV Republika.
Danuta Holecka: Good evening, tonight our guest is Mrs Grażyna Olszewska, Fr. Michał's mother. I welcome you warmly. Today, you saw your son for the first time in many months, in fact, the first time since he was detained. How did this meeting begin?
Grażyna Olszewska: This meeting began very emotionally, with tears and silence. We touched hands through the plexiglass. That's how it started.
DH: When you saw him, what did you think? What was the first feeling?
GO: Ma'am, as I’ve said he isn’t half a man he used to be. He is not the same person; this is not him. He is damaged, gaunt, and terrified. The terror in his eyes. I will carry that image to the grave. You can see everything in those eyes - terror, fear, apprehension, pain, and a sense of not knowing what will happen.
DH: Are you worried that his health might decline further?
GO: His health has already declined. His eyesight has deteriorated a lot. He says, that sometimes he struggles to see things at a certain distance. I believe other illnesses, which I’d rather not discuss, have also worsened. Stress exacerbates certain conditions, as does poor nutrition and lack of exercise. He was once a man who was athletic, strong, and cheerful. That man is no longer there.
DH: Maybe he still has a chance. What does a mother feel when she sees her son in such a state?
GO: What does a mother feel? Heart-wrenching pain. I pray to God; that I could take all of it on myself. I’ve already lived my life, and I would rather bear this suffering so he wouldn’t have to. He has still so much to offer, and so many people to help.
DH: Did he tell you what bothers him the most? Is it the loneliness?
GO: The isolation and the loneliness. But I think it’s the deep sense of hurt that bothers him most. It’s that feeling of injustice that breaks him down.
DH: Was he aware of what people were writing about him before his detention?
GO: Yes, he was aware.
DH: And do you think he’s aware now that things could worse?
GO: I didn’t ask him. I didn’t want to go there for obvious reasons.
DH: I understand. He hasn’t faced this kind of mistreatment or injustice before, has he?
GO: No. He was a respected man, a respected priest. People sought his prayers and help. He was even an exorcist and helped a lot of people. He has never kept anything for himself. He would give away his last possession. I remember when he was a child, he always had a broken bicycle because he gave his better one to someone else who didn’t have one. He was incredibly sensitive. Once, when he was six years old. He walked four kilometres home from school because there was no one to drive him. He took so long to come back because he found an injured raven with a torn wing. He brought the bird home, gave it water, and fed it wheat from his grandmother’s place. Although the raven eventually died, he just couldn’t leave it behind. That was the kind of person he was.
DH: So his desire to help has always been there.
GO: Always. There was a poor woman in our neighbourhood. He would bring her food and water, just plain water because there was no mineral water back in communist times. Others called her “Zośka, but he always respectfully referred to her as Miss Zosia.
DH: So, his wish to build a centre for victims of violence, and the underprivileged doesn’t surprise you at all.
GO: Not at all. That’s who he’s always been. Even when Ukrainian refugees were arriving, we had many of them in our house. My daughter and I would just change the bedding because they stayed for two or three days, thanks to the help from Profeto. My son-in-law would go to pick them up, and if there was no place to put them, Michał would always say, “Bring them to Mom’s.” We had dozens of people staying with us at that time. Michał always wanted to help everyone.
DH: He was looking forward to building that centre.
GO: He poured his heart into that project. He would call me to give updates, saying, “Mom, this is done” or “That’s been completed.” He was so excited.
DH: I don’t think he has ever imagined that he would be accused of theft or wrongfully obtaining money. That must hurt terribly. Does it hurt you too?
GO: Yes, it hurts. They’re accusing my son, and I know he is an honest man.
DH: It must be very hard for him, but I believe goodness will prevail. Do people who knew Fr. Michał still come to support you and your family?
GO: I never expected such support. People come, they call, they write, they offer prayers, and they want to help however they can. Every day, at 3 p.m. the neighbors who aren’t working gather to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. There are masses said for him in our parish and the one in Laskowa. People cry when they talk about him because they can’t understand what’s happening.
DH: The building could have been completed and helping people by now.
GO: Absolutely.
DH: Do you believe Fr. Michał thinks he will finish the centre?
GO: I didn’t ask him. It would be probably a too painful question.
DH: I understand. But I believe it will happen.
GO: I focused on this visit to listen to him and also to let him know how people are doing, how they are helping him, how they are taking care of everything about him and that everyone is willing to help. An amazing sacrifice of people. At the moment, for the third time in Laskowa, people have taken up the so-called, I don't know if you've heard, Jericho Rosary, which means 24 hours a day people are praying non-stop day and night. Every half hour there is a change. This list fills up momentarily. Those people who get up at night for a stranger at half past two, two o'clock, or half past three, set their alarm clocks and say the rosary. This is the third time this has been organised. So, it's not even possible to thank these people, because there are no words to express these thanks.
DH: Did your son tell you about how he was treated? You certainly heard it in the media.
GO: I will say this - I was unaware because the rest of my children didn't want to, but they knew. They wanted to hide it from me because they knew it would be very hard for me. Michał didn't want them to publish it for my sake, but it came out as it did. I'll say this, I didn't want to dwell on the subject for this reason anymore, so as not to reopen old wounds, because it won't change anything at the moment, and he tells me “Mummy, but it's already been done, don't worry about me, because it's already been done. I've endured it, I've survived it, it's already been done. Don't worry about me.”
DH: He is certainly very worried about you.
GO: He is worried for sure. I also try to calm him down somehow. I don't want to show him too much emotion.
DH: But a tear was shed today.
GO: Oh very, very much.
DH: Was it worth it?
GO: My heart hurts, but yes.
DH: Was there anything he wanted you to say to all those praying for him and to all of us in general? Because the worst thing in such a hopeless situation as a priest is helplessness.
GO: Yes.
DH: There are a lot of people who would like to do something, right? To say that he is not a thief, don't make this man a thief. Don't strip him of his dignity, because for him it's certainly awful.
DH: Is there anything you can do for him other than prayers, which he certainly has with our viewers and with us? With me as well.
GO: He asked me to thank everyone. To everyone who is praying for him, for his family, who supports us, for every sign of humanity, so to speak. He truly sends a prison blessing from his heart. He assures us that he is praying for everyone and is extremely grateful that all these different prayers and services are reaching him. People in Poland organise various services and go on pilgrimages. It builds him up a lot that there are still people who believe in him, who believe that he is sitting there innocently. And as I say, he made it a point to convey that he blesses all these people from his heart and commends them in prayer. He also said it was very touching for him when he came out after the court hearing and saw those people outside the court, I don't think he expected something like that. Flowers were everywhere. Anyway, I got the same bouquet of white and red carnations, the kind they threw towards Michał when he was leaving. But did you notice? His hands were cuffed. I don't know if it was for him not to bless people. But he blessed anyway. And so he blessed with those hands in cuffs.
DH: Please do cry. Our audience understands everything, and all normal people understand what you are feeling.
DH: I believe it will be okay because it has to be okay. So many people are praying that it's impossible for him to be accused of something he didn't do. I wanted to ask you. Did he not expect to be arrested at all? Well, because how could he expect such a thing?
GO: I think not. I'll say this, he didn't say such things to me, I didn't talk on such a subject, because it wouldn't have occurred to me either.
DH: Well, it wouldn't have occurred to anyone. And that on Maundy Thursday. Do you think that was a coincidence? That's the day of the priesthood.
GO: You know what, I don't know if it was actually a coincidence, but I think not.
DH: What would it have been done for? To humiliate him even more?
GO: Yes, I think that was the point. Because it's a priest's day. There's only one mass going on. The evening one. It was terrible. When the faithful were wishing the priests on Priests' Day, Michał was in prison. He couldn't even celebrate Mass after 15 years of priesthood and 15 years of serving people in one way or another.
DH: Has your family's world collapsed?
GO: It collapsed; the world collapsed. He said such beautiful words to me that on Good Friday he had a meeting with me, and it was a moment of respite. I told him today: „Michał, we really met then. Because Good Friday came. The silence of Good Friday and the Stations of the Cross. And that station of meeting. The meeting between the son and the mother.”
DH: What do you want to ask of people as a mother?
GO: First of all, I want to thank everyone very much and ask them not to stop praying. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful to everyone who, even in the smallest way, shows humanity, so to speak, to people who pray. As I said, they undertake fasts, they go on pilgrimages, and sometimes they even travel far for these pilgrimages. I just heard recently that there was a gentleman who said that he had recently gone on a pilgrimage to Rome with the intention of Father Michał. A stranger. So here I wanted to thank everyone so that everyone is sure that we feel this as a family. And me, and my husband, and the rest of the children, and our daughters-in-law and son-in-law. We are so immensely grateful to everyone and for everything, but we ask you not to stop praying just yet because this prayer is still so much needed. Michał is in a poor state physically, and mentally. He needs a lot of prayer. That's the only thing that keeps him going.
DH: And do you have support from fellow religious?
GO: Yes, of course. The year mates come, they support, they say mass, what they can do they do.
DH: And has anyone allowed a supervisor's meeting, for example?
GO: None of the confreres, to my knowledge. None of the confreres were allowed to see him. The priest provincial was outside the court, as I saw on Republika TV. He was sitting on the bench, and I saw the moment when Michał walked over and bowed his head to get blessed.
DH: Now yes on that trial.
GO: But it was just that kind of thing. It was that kind of contact. Anyway, from what the superiors call us, they don't have any possibility to meet Michał, neither the confreres nor the superior of the Polish province.
DH: It's also incredible that they don't even let them. And do you know if you will be able to meet him in a while? Or is that not an option at all?
GO: To be clear, we met because we were ready. My son and daughter were there before. Every three weeks you can meet. My second son, who is a priest, had permission and also was at the meeting. Maybe these children of mine were pulling off my meeting with Michał because of the psychological side of it. They wanted me and Michał to be ready for this.
DH: Maybe it was better that way first.
GO: We were both grown into that meeting, but I just want to clarify that it wasn't because I didn't get permission, because I applied once, and I got that permission.
DH: They are very clever children to have preceded you in meetings like that.
GO: Great kids. I have wonderful children, I have a wonderful daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, and grandchildren who stand up and help and protect, so to speak, the children who protect me.
DH: Protecting you, but also protecting Father Olszewski. He probably doesn't want you to see him like that either.
GO: He did not want me to see the place where he is. You know, whoever hasn't been there doesn't know what it looks like. I didn't know either until today. I heard anyway “It's not a place where you would like to be, because you would be worried later” and so on. But I wasn't even able to imagine it. Only today I already know what this place looks like.
DH: You are a mother who sits here and defends her son. What else would you like to happen? How do you imagine the defence of Fr. Michał’s good name?
GO: What can I say? There is a saying that the truth always prevails. That’s all. I don’t think that Fr. Michał’s mother's words can persuade anybody. Michał has done so much good in his life and helped so many people. He gave so many retreats, missions, everything. I think that wise people who know they're not dealing with fraud will see for themselves.
DH: And the day you hear that he was innocent and that all of this was a vindication of him, what it be for you?
GO: It will be the happiest day of my life. And then I can die peacefully.
DH: I wish you such a day and I believe very deeply, that you will just live to see it. Also as a mother, I wish it for you. Such a day will come and Fr. Michał's dignity will be defended because he deserves it. Mrs. Grazyna, thank you immensely.
GO: Thank you very much.
DH: We thank our viewers for every support to us, Fr. Michał and his family. According to Mrs Grazyna’s beautiful words, the truth always prevails. Let us pray for that. Thank you.