Father Wyszynski Pilgrimage

of 1751 to July 15, 1752. After he obtained a statement from the Bishop of Vilnius denying that he ever gave consent to this association, on November 12, 1751, the Congregation of Bishops and Religious issued a decree instructing the Ordinary of Vilnius “to order them to immediately abandon the habit and title that do not fit a foundation of St. Lazarus and were taken on without the consent of said Ordinary for the purpose of collecting alms.” Father Turczynowicz’s lawyer appealed to the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith under the pretext that it was the only authority empowered to rule on the neophytes. After studying the documents, this Congregation also issued a final decree on July 3, 1751, forbidding the use of the title and the habit incompatible with the foundation. Earlier, Fr. Casimir had made a pilgrimage to Loreto and prayed for the intercession of the Marian Founder. It is alleged that a Marian appeared to Cardinal Bardi, the judge in this matter, and talked with him at length. Returning from Loreto, Fr. Wyszyński, who knew that he himself was the only Marian in Rome, showed a picture of Fr. Stanislaus to the Cardinal’s servants who recog- nized the picture as the Cardinal’s guest. Father Casimir fervently strove for the beatifica- tion of the Marian Founder. While still in Poland he searched for witnesses, collected their testimonies, and visited places where Fr. Papczyński used to live. In Rome he wrote down all that he heard from other peo- 37 Renewal and Growth of the Marian Order