History of the Żebrowski heritage

Herb Żebrowskich
Jasieńczyk

Every man holds in his heart the history of his own Country. People create this history, which in turn influences their national character. The Poles, in the mosaic of European nations, distinguish themselves exceptionally with their rich history. Since the Reign of Prince Mieszko I, our milestones are linked with the heritage of Christian Europe. The martyr’s death of Saint Wojciech (Saint Adelbert), Bishop from Prague and his spilled blood, on then Polish Missionary land, fed the Christian roots of the Polish Nation and reinforced its position on the European Continent. The devout attachments to the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church and the growing Political might of Poland, contributed in the recognition of our Country as a bulwark of Christian Europe throughout the Centuries.

The Wistulan (Nadwislanska) Region’s rich, as well as stormy history was more than once the cause of the necessity for the Poles to stand in defence of their own Christian Faith and national traditions. For centuries, a trueborn Pole was recognized by his sincere attachment to his native land and his ancestors’ patriotic-Christian values. The motto, “Bóg – Honor – Ojczyzna” (God – Honour – Country), was part of the Wistulans’ natural breath. The era of over a hundred years’ captivity, strengthened even more, the Patriotic soul of the Polish Nation and tightened its links, to the Catholic Church. To this breed of people, belongs the deeply religious and Patriotic Zebrowski family. Its origin traces back to the Lomzy region, which today, is the Province of Mazowsze. According to family tales, this was a gallant folk and strongly tied to their homeland. The Zebrowskis’ bravely defended their Country and Holy Faith from the Barbarian and Protestant “Swedish deluge” of the XVII Century. It is precisely for specific merits in defence of their Country, during the war with the Swedes, that the brave Zebrowski Clan received estates, rose to the level of nobility and were granted the coat of arms of the Town of Jasienczyk.

Loyalty to the national and noble heredity, patriotism, sincere love of homeland and strong ties with the Catholic Church were handed down from generation to generation. As if to spite destiny, a multitude of difficulties, particularly political in nature, strengthened and steeled the Zebrowskis’ fearless hearts. With the pride of nobility and their particular stubbornness, they always preserved their faith in their nation, their country and the Catholic Church. Many members of the family paid with deportation to the inhuman Siberian land for their persistent allegiance to “holy values” and ideals. Even the post-war communist governments could not break the religious-patriotic convictions of this family. Today, as in the past, the Zebrowskis’ stubbornly defended the traditions of their ancestors, their homeland and the Church. Some of them even came to know the bitter taste of prison.

Characteristically, the Zebrowskis’ were a folk of restless spirit. They were always searching for something, and they could not remain in one place. During the period of the partition of Poland (1794 – 1918), some of them, curious of the vast world, enlisted into the Tsarist army. Others, pushed by some internal force and desire to gain better conditions of life for future generations, traveled many times to the other side of the big waters to America, so that they could invest money earned there in their yet, constrained homeland. Among those, some even settled down in this new continent. The deep spirit of patriotism and sincere love of the homeland, passed on from generation to generation, was the reason that members of the Zebrowskis’ clan were found in Polish Legions, led by General Jozef Haller during WW I, as well as in General Wladyslaw Anders’s army during WW II. For some members of this family, the reality of the Post War period was a continuum of the struggle for true independence of their beloved Country.

From generation to generation, they were distinguished by diligence, inherited resourcefulness and entrepreneurship. In the Partition Period, in spite of the strong Russification, the Zebrowdkis’ always took care to preserve their National language, their familial and religious values, as well as the traditions of their ancestors. Contacts with the wide world, like those from the afore mentioned overseas voyages, reinforced in them the need for education and improvement in various practical and socially useful professions. As relayed in the family traditions, even the most difficult times could not extinguish their love to read available press and books. In spite of the threatening danger from the occupiers, their homes served as havens for secret Polish schools through generations. They belonged to a circle of those, to whom in their hearts, laid the concern of support and development of National culture and the Religious values of their surroundings. For this reason also, the Zebrowskis’ were always known as brave, educated and progressive people. Diligence, resourceful survival, Patriotism relayed from generation to generation, inbred determination, Christian honesty, exceptional helpfulness and other similar characteristics, were the reasons the Zebrowskis, in their various locations, felt the joy from great respect and overall recognition. In spite of their inherited goodness and whole-hearted kindness to people, in the Zebrowski family lurked a rebellious attitude. The Zebrowskis’ always defined themselves through their “szlachecka duma” (aristocratic pride) and feelings of self-importance, striving towards independence and personal freedom. Today, you can find numerous members of this sizable clan, not only in districts of the Wistulan Region, but also near The Rhein, The Seine, in different parts of The United States and Canada and even in distant Australia.

Age long care of moral, patriotic and religious values in the Zebrowski family, contributed to a lineage, where in almost every generation they gave Poland the unbending Patriots, wise and righteous citizens and to the Church, they gave conscientious priests, brothers and sisters of the Religious orders. The attachment to the faith of the ancestors bore fruit even in the youngest descendants with the calling to the priesthood and religious orders. Even the devoted Bishop, Edward Samsel (1940 – 2003) of the City of Elk ( Poland), who did so much for the Church of Poland, was a relative of the Zebrowski Clan. There is no doubt however, that the most wonderful pearl of the mosaic of the great world-wide spread family, is the embodiment of a superb Franciscan; co-worker of St. Maximilian Kolbe “the martyr of Oświęcim” “Auschwitz”, the great Pole and even greater Missionary to Japan, candidate for the altars, Brother Zenon Zebrowski.

The family motto, “Gość w dom – Bóg w dom” (Guest in home – God in home), passed on through the generations and was part of the Clan’s tradition, made the Zebrowkis’s always open to the world, characterized them with a natural friendliness to people, the ability to respect the opinions of others and willingly help the needy. These values, taken from home, enriched by the Christian love of one’s neighbours and the Franciscan point of view, made Brother Zenon, who died in 1982, a great Ambassador of Poland and at the same time, an untiring propagator of Christian values in Japan. The Franciscan Brother Z enon, through his sincere love of the poor, sick and abandoned, his Christian personality formed by the family environment, captured the hearts of the Japanese, who, still in his lifetime, built monuments, wrote books about him and sang glorifying songs as a testament of their gratitude towards him. The unselfish, charitable activities of Brother Zenon in the land of the Rising Sun, permanently introduced the word “volunteer”, unknown there before, into the Japanese dictionary. The seed of Christian values, carried out from his home and sewn by Brother Zenon on the rocky Japanese land, will surely bear fruit in the future of this Nation of Islands, and he himself, will become an inspiration and challenge for the next generations of the Zebrowskis’ clan, for his Countrymen in Poland and possibly even for the International Community.

By: Fr. Jerzy Zebrowski, Franciscan, nephew of Brother Zenon.

March 2005, Montreal, Canada