Father Casimir Wyszynski

113 The Servant of Mary Immaculate In his account of Father Casimir’s life which Father Alexis Fischer wrote in Portugal in 1759, he stated certain facts, which he was able to observe personally, concerning the practice of the virtue of hope by the Venerable. When living the virtue of poverty, Father Casimir trusted in the generosity of Divine Providence and even founded a confraternity in its honor at the Church of Our Lord’s Cenacle in Góra Kalwaria. Father Casimir introduced the custom “that after the first bre- viary hour the Litany of theMost Blessed VirginMary along with the antiphon ‘Under Your Protection’ would be sung in supplica- tion to the Mother of God’s particular protection of the Marian Order. 73 He was endowed with such an unwavering faith in the power of the Immaculate Conception that in various circum- stances or moments of weakness and danger—either to himself or to others—he recited the following formula and was granted the desired result: ‘May the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Conception be our health and our protection.’” 74 Father Alexis also cites the fact that once when his own health had deterio- rated, it vastly improved after Venerable Casimir traced on his forehead the first letters of the above-quoted short ejaculation. At the same time, Father Alexis also experienced a surge of reli- gious emotion: “Later after everyone left, a powerful pain gripped my soul and tears welled up, so that I had to close the door tomy cell, and lying down, I wept from the bottom of my heart for a whole hour except for a brief moment when I arose to pick upmy crucifix. My tears were so abundant, my heartfelt repentance so great, that I kissedmy Savior’s image with such deep feeling that I wished the most merciful God to let me die like this one day.” 75 Father Casimir’s particular manifestation of hope was dis- played when he sensed that the end of his time on earth was ap- proaching. He said to a priest who wished to read at his sickbed the warnings about final judgment and hell: “There is no need to frighten or admonish a religious who has endeavored to be a 73 A. Fischer, Życie, cnoty i śmierć święta …, 58-59. 74 Ibid, 65. 75 Ibid, 66.