The Leader’s Role in Building Religious Social Capital: A Religious Regional Community Leader in Poland

Abstract

This paper analyses the religious and social efforts of Bishop Ignacy Tokarczuk in order to identify his role in the process of generating religious social capital. The research was based on an analysis of available sources and in particular published texts on the Bishop’s pastoral work. It demonstrates that during the difficult times of the communist era, the Bishop of Przemyśl was an unquestioned leader of local communities, who used religious resources to build religious social capital. Bishop Tokarczuk skilfully balanced Catholic bottom-up initiatives and activated local religious communities. His religious and social efforts prepared the ground for building a civil society. The results of Bishop’s social and religious work, which priests and lay Catholics also became involved in were impressive.