Father Casimir Wyszynski

98 Z YGMUNT P ROCZEK , MIC, P H D He comforted the weeping novices, telling them not to lose heart: “Do not weep! The Most Blessed Virgin is your Foundress. When I will leave this body and my soul will be led to God, as I hope will happen, having put my trust in Divine Mercy and the merits of my Savior, I will assist you even better” (Fr. A. Fischer). Devastated bymalaria, he left this world on October 21, 1755, mourned by the small group of Portuguese Marians. According to local custom, he was buried on the same day in sand without a coffin, in the presence of only a few participants at the funeral. His body was placed under the floor of the church in Balsamão. It was not until 1759, that his earthly remains were exhumed from the sand and placed in a coffin, where they rested until 1955. Then they weremoved to a specially prepared niche in the church wall where they remain to this day. Eight days after Father Casimir’s death, Father John de Rosario Diaz arrived in Balsamãowith the intention of joining theMarian Order. The Bishop appointed him the superior of theMarian com- munity. Father Diaz delivered the eulogy in Father Casimir’s honor on the 30 th day after his death. He expressed his conviction that Father Casimir heroically served God and the people and that God had called Father Casimir to Himself to reward him with eternal glory. Father Diaz added that the purity and sanctity of Father Casimir’s soul were confirmed by the fact that birds used to flut- ter into his cell andwould not leave until Father Casmir signaled. As Father Casimir lay dying, everyone was astounded to hear a bird’s sweet song. The bird instantly disappeared at themoment of his death. Another sign of his sanctity was the unusual elastic- ity of his body parts after death, along with the beauty of his face and the sweet aroma pervading his cell. Father Casimir’s death was a great blow to the Portuguese Marians. None of them had yet made a profession of vows. They immediately besought the Superior General in Poland to have someMarians dispatched to continue the work started by Father Casimir. The Marians in Portugal passed the news of Father