Jan Tyranowski was born on February 9, 1901 in Kraków, Poland, into a devout, middle-class family. His father was a tailor, but Jan initially trained and worked as an accountant. Around 1930 he developed a chronic stomach ailment which forced him to leave accounting and return to working as a tailor in his father’s shop. Over time he cultivated a rich interior life: despite not being a cleric or member of a religious order, he became deeply attached to Carmelite spirituality—especially the writings of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Ávila.

During the Nazi occupation of Poland, as many priests were arrested or deported, Tyranowski was asked by the remaining Salesian clergy at St. Stanislaus Kostka parish in Kraków to assist with youth ministry. He agreed, despite his own introversion and reservations, and began hosting small “Living Rosary” prayer groups in his apartment. In those gatherings, he guided young men in spiritual practices, lectio, virtue formation, and deeper prayer, preparing them for Christian life under persecution and social pressure. One of the young men he mentored was Karol Wojtyła (the future Pope John Paul II). Through Tyranowski’s influence, Wojtyła was introduced to Carmelite mysticism and found a contemplative depth that shaped his own priestly and papal spirituality.

In his final years, Tyranowski contracted tuberculosis, which gradually weakened him. He lived with simplicity and courage in his suffering, remaining committed to prayer, spiritual direction, and correspondence with his disciples. He passed away on 15 March 1947 in Kraków.