On 30 October, the community of the Medical College of the University of Rzeszów paid tribute to and bid farewell, for the third time, to the Donors who had given their bodies for the purposes of science.

This year, the academic community commemorated five individuals whose selfless gifts contributed to the advancement of science and the education of future doctors.

The patron of the Memorial and of the University of Rzeszów Body Donation Programme is Fr. Prof. Innocenty Józef Maria Bocheński OP, author of The Manual of the Wisdom of This World, who, during his lifetime, decided to donate his body after death to the Department of Anatomy at the University of Fribourg. It was the example set by Father Professor that became the foundation for organising memorials in honour of Anatomy Department Donors at medical universities across Poland.

The Body Donation Programme, run by the Medical College since 2015, enables the development of teaching and scientific research in anatomy and, above all, expresses profound respect for those who have chosen to make this exceptionally noble gesture. To date, over 100 individuals have signed an agreement to donate their bodies for scientific purposes.

The ashes of the Donors have been laid to rest in a communal grave at the Wilkowyja municipal cemetery.

The ceremony provided an opportunity for reflection on the value of body donation, gratitude towards the Donors, and the significance of their gift for future generations of doctors and scientists.

Photo: Michał Święcicki