Lest You Remain

structible seal”. God recognizes us as His disciples by this baptismal seal that gives back to the soul its original resemblance to the Lord. A Marian Helper is a person who makes sure that the received seal would not be damaged or marred thus losing its authenticity and credibility. To guard the received seal means to be concerned with the spiritual beauty of the heart and faith- fully put into practice all the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. It means to be a per- son with a seal in the heart, always remembering to whom the seal belongs, who is our Lord, and who always protects us from evil. 3. The Founder We call Fr. Stanislaus our Father Founder . This phase replaces in a way his first and last name, defines his personality and mission, it expresses what is essen- tial in his life—to which everything else has been subordinated. This “new” name was first revealed on December 11, 1670,—on the day when he said the words of so-called oblation or the act of offering oneself to God in the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception, the founding of which he planned. He appeared then as a Founder but the confirmation of the name came with the official approval of the new community by the Church authorities on October 24, 1673. Father Stanislaus entered a new stage of his life as Father Founder. What did he found? He did not found any new organization, association, or institution, but he gave the beginning to a new way of living out the mystery of Christ . By answering “yes” to God, he allowed the new religious community to enrich the Church. He accepted the gift of the Spirit for the Church which means that he not only founded (that is established structures and defined the manner of their functioning, which in fact is related to calling a work into existence), but he did something else: he allowed the Divine Spirit to act within the Church and to reveal the mystery of Christ in the Marian community. Thanks to him the Marian charism or the experience of the Redeemer’s love revealed in the mystery of Mary’s Immaculate Conception came to be known in order to shape with an apostolic zealousness and after Mary’s example the beau- ty of every man and the entire Church. What are the Founder’s characteristic features? Firstly, his sensitivity and openness to God’s inspiration, which causes that our Founder becomes convinced that God calls him to establish a special religious community. Father Papczy < ski experienced the action of the divine inspiration; he prayed, pondered, and questioned spiritual directors, so that, in the end, to acknowledge in full responsibility the authenticity of God’s calling. Fr. St. Papczy < ski as the Inspiration for the Marian Helpers 215