Father Casimir Wyszynski

Biography The Servant of God Casimir Wyczyński was born August 19, 1700, at his family’s estate, Jeziora Wielka, then part of the Dio- cese of Poznan, presently the Diocese of Warsaw, as the seventh of eight children of John Casimir and Hedwig (born Zawadzka). He was baptized on October 4 of the same year. He received the basics of religious education from his parents in whom the Catholic faith was deeply ingrained. From his childhood Father Casimir had a great devotion to the Immaculate Conception of theMother of God. After receiving his education at the Piarist Col- leges—first in Góra Kalwaria and then in Warsaw—following pressure fromhis father, he went into legal apprenticeship at the end of 1718. However, in 1721 he resigned, in order to make a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain in fulfillment of a previously made promise. While on the road, he fell ill and thus was prevented from carrying out his vow. Therefore, he went to Rome where he was able to obtain a dispensation from his vow. Also in Rome, he met Father Joachim Kozłowski, the Procurator for the Marian Order, and declared before him his readiness to join the Order. In 1723 he received fromFather Joachim theMar- ian habit. Upon his return to Poland, he began his novitiate with the Marian Fathers, and, having completed it, made a profession of solemn vows in the Order of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary on March 19, 1725. The same year he received his minor orders and was made a sub-deacon, and fi- nally, in 1726, he was ordained to the priesthood. Already in the novitiate he became noted for his meticulous observance of religious regulations and zeal for growing in virtue. Therefore, soon after ordination he was entrusted with various offices and duties in fulfillment of which he rendered the Order a great service through the richness of his spiritual and intellectual life as the Novice Master (1727-30), substitute for the superior in the Korabiew monastery (1728-30), General Procurator in Rome (1730-33), Secretary General, again Novice Master and substitute for the superior in the Korabiew monastery, General 211 Decree of Heroic Virtues