Medal of Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko

This medal was established, among other things (primarily), to honor alumni-soldiers who completed their basic military service in the so-called clerical units of the Polish People's Army. These units were officially called school field rescue battalions. They were also among the first group of recipients of the medal.^[1]

Since then, the medal has also been awarded to, among others: members of the strike committee of the sit-in strike at the Higher Officer School of Firefighting in 1981,^[3] Bishop Jan Tyrawa,^[4] Wojciech Noszczyk,^[5] Jerzy Kalina,^[5] and General Tadeusz Bieńkowicz, pseudonym “Rączy”.

The medal depicts Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, during his basic military service as a cadet-soldier in the 54th Field Rescue Battalion in Bartoszyce.

The obverse of the round medal, with a diameter of 40 mm, features an image of Father Jerzy Popiełuszko in military uniform. On the reverse side logo of the Polish Army Field Ordinariate, there is a cross, a stole with the inscription “God-Honor-Fatherland,” an image of Black Madonna of Częstochowa and the slogan: “Overcome evil with good.”

The medal is suspended from a 45 mm wide ribbon with six stripes in khaki, white, and red, with dark green 2 mm stripes along the sides.