mgr William Lecyk

ORCID: 0000-0002-9958-5840

The topic of my dissertation is: „The Priestly Family in the Uniate (Greek Catholic) Diocese of Przemyśl in the Years 1740–1818”

The subject of my doctoral dissertation is the Uniate (Greek Catholic) priestly family, understood as one of the socio-professional groups of the former Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Polish lands after the First Partition (1772). The main objective of the dissertation is to provide a comprehensive characterization and analysis of the functioning of such families within the territory of the former Diocese of Przemyśl between 1740 and 1818. In existing scholarship, the issue of families formed by Uniate clergy has been addressed only rarely. To date, no academic monograph has applied a full research framework to this topic. The planned publication aims to fill this research gap, contribute to the popularization of the subject within the academic community, and thereby facilitate comparative studies by other historians.

Addressing this research topic requires an in-depth analysis of the legal, social, and economic circumstances surrounding marriages among Uniate clergy. It is therefore essential to explore the institution of marriage in the light of both secular and ecclesiastical regulations of the time, the characteristics of the newlyweds, dowry relations, and the issue of widowhood.

Another key research area involves the analysis of family life, including fertility, the upbringing and education of children, as well as the relationships between spouses, their children, and other household members.

The study also considers the economic foundations of priestly family life, particularly within the context of the parish household. It will examine household structure and size, the issue of benefice income, patterns of revenue and expenditure, and the family’s material resources.

The final research area is the everyday life of the priestly family, covering not only domestic life but also the nature and extent of social interactions.

These issues will be analyzed within a time frame defined by the diocesan synods of Przemyśl in 1740 and 1818. This period was marked by significant political, social, and religious transformations that had a decisive impact on the functioning of priestly families at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Publication:

  • Lecyk W., „A najprzód Najwyższemu Stwórcy za wszystkie dobrodziejstwa składam dzięki…”. Duchowieństwo eparchii przemyskiej wobec Boga i religii w świetle testamentów z lat 1817-1827, „Galicja. Studia i Materiały” 2023, t. 9, s. 74-94.
  • Lecyk W., Sozon Wadyński OSBM (1749-1815). Przyczynek biograficzny, „Krakowskie Pismo Kresowe” 2023, t. 15, s. 21-38.
  • Lecyk W., Zabudowania plebańskie w greckokatolickim dekanacie przemyskim w świetle wizytacji biskupiej z 1843 roku, „Rocznik Przemyski Historia” 2024, t. 60, z. 1 (30), s. 91-116.
  • Lecyk W., Powstanie parafii unickiej (greckokatolickiej) w Żurawicy oraz jej majątek ziemski do początku XX wieku, [w:] Dzieje Żurawicy. Studia i materiały, t. 5, red. M. Hofman, M. Duda, Żurawica 2025, s. 169-196.
  • Lecyk W., "Naszego duchownego przeszłego jest syn..." Ród kapłański Pisulińskich (Pisulaków) z Semerówki w XVIII-XIX wieku. Studium przypadku, [w:] Historia. Wspólne dziedzictwo. Archiwistyka. Księga dedykowana pamięci dr hab. Anny Krochmal, red. J. Krochmal, Warszawa 2025, s. 289-310 (ISBN 978-83-973700-4-3).