- In the 80s priest Eugeniusz was a chaplain of Solidarity in Rzeszow and later in Przemysl. He preached courageous patriotic sermons, co-organized meetings of the underground activists in his own apartment - mentioned the priest's merits Marek Kuchcinski, the Speaker of the Sejm, who presented the award on behalf of the President to the former priest of the parish in Nowy Zagorze in Podkarpacie on January 11.

In the period of communism, and especially during martial law, the Catholic Church played a huge role; firstly, by helping the society to organize itself against the vision of a socialist society imposed by the authorities, and secondly, the social teaching of the Church was an alternative to the communist vision. In the conditions of life in the People's Republic of Poland, this help could not be overestimated.

During martial law many priests were involved in concrete help for the society opposing the totalitarian power. Among them was Father Dryniak, ordained in 1980, who, as vicar of the parish of the Blessed Sacrament in Drabinianka, Rzeszów, was appointed by the bishop (Ignacy Tokarczuk) as chaplain to the DLP (Apostleship of the Working People). The inaugural meeting of the DLP, which took place in July 1984, was attended, according to SB estimates, by about eight hundred people. Father Eugeniusz supported the opposition circles and cooperated, unofficially, with RKW (Regional Executive Commission of "Solidarity").

He co-organized publishing and distribution of underground local and nationwide press, including "Tygodnik Mazowsze", "Wola", "Przegląd Wiadomości Agencyjnych", "Hutnik", as well as reports of the "Experience and Future" Convergence. His apartment served as a warehouse for paper and matrices, as well as a distribution point for underground press and publications. He was a co-organizer and spiritual guide of the Rzeszów and Przemyśl Solidarity pilgrimages to Jasna Góra - the national pilgrimages of working people. He also co-organized trips to Warsaw on the occasion of John Paul II's visits to Poland, as well as to the funeral of Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko and, in later years, to his grave. He was actively investigated by Department IV of the WUSW in Rzeszów.

The Cross of Freedom and Solidarity is a unique state decoration, awarded by the President of the Republic of Poland to meritorious opposition activists from 1956 to 1989, at the request of the Institute of National Remembrance. Prelate Dryniak previously received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for his underground activities, and was also honored with a statuette from the Monument to Fallen Shipyard Workers (Gdańsk Crosses).