Father Casimir Wyszynski

second stay in Rome, in 1751-1753, he received permission to hear the confessions of the Polish pilgrims. He gladly served religious sisters and lay people in the con- fessional, bringing peace and consolation to their souls. Marianna Wrzoskówna, a Dominican nun fromGóra Kalwaria, testified that he helped another nun, Margaret Charzyńska, whowas struggling with feelings of guilt, to regain inner peace. 43 Father Alexis Fischer, well acquainted with Father Casimir, accentuated: “Due to Father Casimir’s exemplary life, he was proposed to the Most Reverend Bishop of Poznan and the Warsaw official, for the po- sition of spiritual director and confessor of the Dominican Sisters living near the Cenacle, to assure their better spiritual guidance. In the past, Father Stanislaus Papczyński had carried out the same ministry. Obedient to the Bishop’s orders, Venerable Casimir performed this taskwith extreme fruitfullness for several years, talking to the Sisters exclusively in the confessional.” 44 In accord with the aim of the Marian community to provide pastoral care to simple folks unfamiliar with the principles of faith, Father Casimir, as Superior General, made provision at the annual congress convened on July 1, 1749, in the Korabiew For- est, that all house superiors provide for the teaching of catechism at the Marian churches. It was stipulated that they could appoint seminarians to this task if there were any at the monastery, or to the younger priests or even members of the confraternities. It was emphasized that “Out of consideration for love of God and neighbor they should accept this duty willingly because this ob- ligation was imposed by virtue of their vows and vocation .” The catechism instructions were given on Sunday afternoons and lasted four months, from the end of Easter confessions until Oc- tober. 45 To secular people, unduly concerned with temporal matters, Father Casimir reminded them of Gospel teachings. Wojciech 43 Ibid, 477-478. 44 A. Fischer, Życie, cnoty i śmierć święta …, 58. 45 Capitula Generalia Marianorum (1702- 1999) , Puszcza Mariańska 2001, 210. 86 Z YGMUNT P ROCZEK , MIC, P H D