Silver collector coin minted to commemorate the 95th birthday anniversary of Father Jan Twardowski
Obverse:
In the center: a fragment of the front of Józef Oblubieniec i Niepokalana Bogurodzica Maryja (St. Joseph and Holy Mary the Mother of God) Church of the Sisters from the Order of Visitation of Holy Mary in Warsaw. On the left: the emblem of the Republic of Poland and the face value of 10 PLN. In the rim: the inscription RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA 2010 (THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND 2010)
Reverse:
The bust of Father Jan Twardowski. On the left: a fragment of his poem titled “Spieszmy się kochać ludzi tak szybko odchodzą” (Let us love people now they leave us so fast). Below the inscription: Ks. Jan Twardowski (Father Jan Twardowski). In the rim the inscription: 95. ROCZNICA URODZIN KS. JANA TWARDOWSKIEGO (95th BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY OF FATHER JAN TWARDOWSKI).
Designer: Dominika Karpiska-Kopiec
Father Jan Twardowski (born on June 1, 1915 in Warsaw, died on January 18, 2006 also in Warsaw), Roman Catholic priest, Polish poet, the representative of the modern religious poetry.
He attended the Tadeusz Czacki Secondary School in Warsaw; he passed his school-leaving exams in 1935. In 1937, his first volume of verse titled “Powrót Andersena” (Return of Andersen) was published, which contained references to Skamander poetics. In the same year, he began his studies in Polish Literature at the University of Warsaw. In 1939, he completed his study and in 1948 he defended his MA thesis. In World War II, during which all his earlier works perished, he was a soldier of Armia Krajowa (Home Army) and took part in the Warsaw Uprising.
As a consequence of his war experiences, including the destruction of his family house, in 1943 he decided to become a priest.
During the war, in March 1945, he started studying in a secret seminary in Warsaw. He had several breaks in his course, but he continued it until 1948, when he was ordained on July 4. After his study in the seminary, he arrived at the parish in Żbików near Pruszków, where he was a curate for three years. He taught Roman Catholic Religion in a special school. Since 1959 until his retirement, he was a rector of the Church of the Sisters from the Order of Visitation of Holy Mary in Warsaw, where he preached for children. It was to children that he dedicated, among other things, the volumes of “Zeszyt w kratkę” (Notebook with Squared Paper) and “Patyki i patyczki” (Sticks and Twigs).
Earlier, at the end of 1945, he began to publish his poems again. His works were published i.a. in “Tygodnik Powszechny."
He achieved great popularity with his volume titled “Znaki ufności” (Signs of trust) published in 1970.
In 1980, Twardowski received Robert Graves PEN Club award for lifetime achievements. In 1996, he was awarded the Order of the Smile, in 2000 – the IKAR award and Dziecięca Nagroda SERCA (Children’s Heart Award), and in 2001 – the TOTUS award, which is also called a “Catholic Nobel Prize.” In 2005 he received the Award of the Capital City of Warsaw. In 1999, the Catholic University of Lublin awarded him a doctor’s degree of honoris causa. He was a honorary citizen of the city of Tarnowskie Góry.
He died in the evening on January 18, 2006 in Warsaw. He was buried in a tomb in the Pantheon of Great Polish People, which is a place of burial in Świątynia Opatrzności Bożej (Divine Providence Church) for people of merit. This was the wish of Cardinal Józef Glemp, the Primate of Poland; however, it was against the last will of Father Twardowski, who had wished to be buried in the Warsaw Powązki cemetery.
