At 8:30 a.m. Thursday, a knife‑wielding assailant burst into the Benedictine Abbey in Jaroslaw, the historic monastery that houses a community of Benedictine Sisters. The sudden assault left one person dead and four wounded, including two nuns who were struck in the lower back and a lay visitor who suffered a fractured collarbone.
The suspect, a 31‑year‑old Ukrainian national, was arrested on the abbey grounds by police who arrived within minutes of the alarm. Police state that the motive remains unclear and that forensic teams are combing the site for clues.
Sister Barbara Dendor told TVP Info that the abbey has lost Father Stanisław and that Father Marek is in serious condition. She added, "When I arrived, there was total panic; young people who had come out of the center witnessed it – they were saying, 'Some madman, some madman!'".
The abbey’s security was reportedly breached by the assailant who approached the nuns during a morning prayer session. Medical teams rushed the wounded to St. Joseph Hospital in Jaroslaw, where doctors treated minor injuries and a serious head injury.
Police are conducting forensic analysis and interviewing witnesses, while the abbey’s administration has announced a temporary lockdown of the complex and plans to review security protocols. The investigation will continue as authorities seek to identify any links to broader threats in the region.