Author
Jan Urban 1874-1940

He was born on 23 January 1874 in Brok (near Płock). He studied philosophy and theology at the Płock Theological Seminary, and joined the Jesuit Order in 1899, continuing his studies there. In 1905, he was assigned to the Apostolstwo Modlitwy Publishing House in Kraków, and furthered his writing activities, which he continued even during his Third Novitiate in Tarnopol in 1906-07, and during his secret mission to Podlasie (1902-03 and 1907-09), as well as in Russia, mainly St. Petersburg (1907-10). He prepared and printed prayer books, popular brochures and journals, such as Katoliczeskoje Obozrenje, for Catholics in Russia. During World War I, he was a professor of theology in Vidnava (1914-15), Gräfenberg (1915) and Czechowice (1915-16). Between 1918 and 1933, he was the editor-in-chief of Przeglad Powszechny, and then, from 1933 to 1939, the editor of the Oriens journal, which he founded and ensured that it maintained a high quality. He took part in a number of congresses and conventions concerning the Christian East and the church union. In 1935, he also founded and co-edited the Uniate K’Sojedinieniju and Da Złuczennia journals. Polish precursor of efforts towards the unification of Christian Churches. To strengthen the spirit of the persecuted, he published Czytania podlaskie (Podlasie Readings) (1904), then a biography of the martyr of the Union, St. Josaphat Kuntsevych (1906), and finally the Gospodu pomolimsia prayer book (1908). He later described his missionary experiences in the book entitled Wśród unitów na Podlasiu (Among Uniate Church Members in Podlasie) (1923). In 1908, he published in St. Petersburg the book entitled W zaszczitu wiery (1922, in the 3rd edition, the title was changed to Pravoslavie i katoliţestvo). He also published many books, brochures and articles about religious, social and cultural topics including: Na tematy współczesne (On Contemporary Topics) 1923). He died on 27 September 1940 in Kraków.

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