Father Casimir Wyszynski

30 years as a Marian, all the while growing in personal holiness and faithfully fulfilling the duties of his calling. The decree on his heroic virtues, proclaimed December 21, 1989, emphasized among other things his eschatological commitment: “As a faithful [spiritual] son of the Founder and a guardian of his spiritual legacy, he [Father Casimir] also endeavored to bring help to the souls suffering in purgatory.” This is particularly underlined in Father Casimir’s biography, written by Father Alexis Fischer, his disciple and successor in Portugal: “He [Father Casimir] assisted the souls in purgatory in every possible way and recommended others to do the same. In order to intensify this help, he obtained from Pope Benedict XIV the perpetual privilege that in all of our churches plenary indulgences could be obtained during the oc- tave of All the Faithful Departed. (n. 26) In those times, Marian devotion was closely associated with prayerful assistance for the souls in purgatory. This was particu- larly true for the members of the movement of people who ded- icated themselves toMary. These “Mary’s Slaves” not only sought to free themselves from sins and the devil, but also carried out apostolic works, buying back Christian captives from the infidels’ custody, assisting prisoners, and praying for the souls suffering in purgatory. Venerable Casimir closely followed Father Papczyński’s teach- ings set forth in his textbook on spiritual life, Mystical Temple of God : “[…] it is the greatest charity to pray earnestly to God for the freedomof the souls remaining in purgatory or to assist themby merciful alms and various othermeans. Quite impious and foolish is hewho is not moved by their torments and does not help those who suffer when he is able. In the Scriptures, the leader Judas Maccabees, vigorous and noble-minded, “took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drach- mas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sac- rifice. In doing so he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view” (2 Mch 12:43). Thiswas done by amanwhowas occupiedwith continual wars, which usually extinguish pity, and who may well have 72 Z YGMUNT P ROCZEK , MIC, P H D