Outline of the history of the Catholic Church for secondary schools and teachers’ schools

The author of a publication kept in the collection of the Museum of Martyrdom ‘Pod Zegarem’, Rev. Walenty Gadowski is considered one of the most outstanding catechists of the early 20th century in Poland. He was born on December 8th, 1861 in Wiśnicz Nowy, and he was ordained a priest in 1884. Three years later he was appointed professor of catechetics and pedagogy at the Seminary in Tarnów.

One of the greatest achievements of his scientific activity was the introduction of new teaching methods to Polish catechesis, in Germany referred to as Gadowskische method. Father Gadowski claimed that teaching the faith should start with easier things, combining religion with everyday life and skilfully using such teaching aids as quotations from the Gospel, religious songs, maps, examples from the lives of saints, discussing rituals common in Poland, and illustrations. His suggestions were often criticised, to which he replied: ‘[...] the school catechism should neither be theology nor philosophy, but should be lowered to the perception of children’. In line with his view, in his books he used a language that was more accessible to the average audience.

Father Gadowski is an author of many textbooks for teaching religion, adapted to the age of the recipient: children, students of primary schools, high schools and catechists. In addition to Outline of the History of the Catholic Church (Zarys historji Kościoła katolickiego), he prepared such publications as Good Shepherd prayer book, Catechism Teachings (Dobry Pasterz, Nauki katechizmowe) or Preparation for the First Holy Communion and Elementary Biblical Catechesis for children of the first and second years of education in rural schools (Przygotowanie do pierwszej Komunii św., Biblijne katechezy elementarne dla dziatwy I i II roku nauki w szkołach wiejskich). He was the first publisher of the Tarnów-based ‘Dwutygodnik Katechetyczny’, created in order to develop the cooperation and further training of religion teachers. His works have been published many times in Poland and translated abroad. As a result of his efforts, the first association of catechists was established in Krakow under the vocation of St. Jan Kanty.

Walenty Gadowski was also a mountaineer. At the beginning of the 20th century he blazed the trail of Orla Perć, considered the most difficult in the Tatra Mountains. In 1926 the Orla Perć of the Pieniny –the Sokola Perć – and the now defunct Skalna Perć were marked out on his initiative. He was the first to climb Mała Buczynowa Turnia, Wielka Buczynowa Turnia and Kozie Czuba.

He died on May 14, 1956 in Bochnia.