He has been associated with the monastery all his life. Born in a nearby village, he joined the Pauline Fathers in 1935.
He was ordained a priest during World War II, which he spent at the Black Madonna shrine. Over the decades, Father Tomziński served as a custodian of the shrine, monastery prior, and a Vatican Radio correspondent.
He played a key role in organizing ceremonies marking the millennium of the Christianity in Poland in 1966, as well as in the preparations for the World Youth Days in 1991 and the visits of Pope John Paul II to the Częstochowa monastery.
His reminiscences of his encounters with the Polish-born pope and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, the former Polish Primate, are a valuable source for historians.
While in Rome to continue his studies in the late 1950s and early 60s, Father Tomziński participated in the Second Vatican Council. He is the only living member of the Polish clergy who took part in that event.
In a 2018 interview on the centenary of his birth, Father Tomziński was asked if he did not regret choosing the monastic life. His instant answer was: “I never regretted a minute. I am the happiest man!”
(mk/pk)