Father Casimir Wyszynski

Let us take a closer look at the Marian way of Father Casimir, who loved Christ limitlessly and served Him by following the ex- ample of Mary, the Handmaid of the Lord. The first factor that influenced the shaping of Father Casimir’s Marian piety was his family home. He was a son of gentry who lived their lives in “a noble and exemplary manner” 146 and were “thoroughly Catholic.” 147 He had “truly pious parents.” 148 The house even had an oratory where holy Mass could be celebrat- ed. 149 This does not mean, however, that Father Casimir did not experience any difficulties or sufferings, especially spiritual ones, from the people closest to him. His father, John Casimir, was a strict manwho placed high demands on his sons. These demands were centeredmostly on his sons’ studies. Francis did not dowell at school and for this reason—as recollected by his brother Michael—he was “hated by his father and treated meaner than the servant boys.” 150 Consequently, Francis was painfully affected by the lack of his father’s love and by humiliations and punish- ments fromhis father. In his vulnerability he turned to hismother inwhomhe found support and comfort in his troubles. She spoke to him about God, taught him to pray and steered him to church. Kind and gentle by nature, she had a very positive impact on the boy's delicate psyche. Her manner certainly influenced Francis’s attitude towards the Mother of God on whom he early in life be- stowed his filial love and trust. The Wyszyński family’s religiousness did not differ signifi- cantly from the average religiousness of the good Polish families of the day. They were not new to devotion to the Virgin Mary, Warszawa-Lublin 2003, 157-164. 146 W. Magnuszewski, Żywot …, 29. 147 B. Jakimowicz, MIC, Czcigodny Sługa Boży Kazimierz Wyszyński , in: Polscy święci , 135. 148 W. Magnuszewski, Żywot Czcigodnego Sługi Bożego Kazimierza Wyszyńskiego… , 31. 149 PositioWysz , 24. 150 Michał Wyszyński, Chcę naprawić to, co zepsuł mój brat , in: Najstarsze świadectwa ... , 21. 144 J ANUSZ K UMALA , MIC, P H D