Father Wyszynski Pilgrimage

Fr. Bixy’s hospitality accorded to them in the vicinity of Vienna. Although the church building there had per- ished in fire shortly before their arrival, the pastor gave them shelter in the remaining quarters. A few days later he bade them farewell outside Vienna and set them on the right road to Rome. At that very time the ceiling collapsed in the room where they had spent the night. Father Casimir learned about this incident only several months into his stay in Rome. In his letter to Fr. Bixy he said: “We give thanks to God for shielding us from danger of which I was informed by the broth- er-hermit. We were able to reach Rome and to accom- plish many good things for our Congregation, which would have been impossible should we not have been saved from danger. Accordingly, we received every- thing that we asked the Holy See for. What is more, the King of Portugal invited us to his kingdom so that devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. might grow there through the ministry of our Marian Congregation.” Father Casimir was deeply convinced that he survived thanks to the intercession of Father Founder and that the matter could be brought forth as a proof of Fr. Stanislaus’s holiness. The travelers from Poland reached Rome on April 30, 1751, and settled at the Franciscan monastery “Ara Coeli.” Shortly after, Fr. John Kanty went back to Po- land, while Fr. Casimir, although frequently in poor health, fervently carried out all the tasks entrusted to him. 35 Renewal and Growth of the Marian Order