If Polish credit union industry officials succeed, a Polish credit union pioneer may become the very first credit union saint.

Franciszek Stefczyk taught school in the Polish countryside and is credited with starting Poland's first credit unions in the early 20th century, none of which survived World War II and the subsequent Soviet-dominated period.

"Dr. Stefczyk, who has been referred to as the 'Polish Raiffeisen,' was an ardent Christian, a great Polish patriot and a pioneer of rural cooperative credit unions," said Janusz Ossowski, president of Poland's Cooperative Research Institute. "He was a person of wonderful qualities of spirit and mind whose entire life bears testimony to the belief that the rules of business can be reconciled by the Gospel if those rules are based on true values and the idea of helping one's neighbor."

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