Lest You Remain

lectionis (Founding of the retreat house), Fr. Stanislaus recalled: “I was tormented and nearly embarrassed by great dilemmas, scruples, doubts, uncertainties, fears. For who indeed, could have such a lax conscience that without it he would go from the state of a religious, even if only simple vows, to a purely lay state?” Inwardly convinced of the necessity to continue the way of life of consecration to God and of his calling to found a new religious community to honor the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, he had to make radical choices. His refusal to accept the position of the Canon at the Cathedral of P = ock was at the bot- tom of his losing Bishop Jan Gembicki’s friendship, at the time he was bishop was the Ordinary of P = ock, becoming later the Ordinary of Krakow. Bishop Micha = Oborski, the Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow, formerly well disposed towards Fr. Stanislaus, quite unexpectedly withdrew his support for the idea of founding a Marian Congregation. In addition, Stefan Wierzbowski, the Bishop of Pozna < , in whose diocese Fr. Stanislaus lived, despite of his regard for the latter, made the establishment of the Marian Order in his diocese dependent upon the permission of the Holy See, on which Fr. Stanislaus could not count. Confessors, with whom Fr. Papczy<ski sought advise, held contrary views. Not a few candidates for the Order proved to be unsuitable. Although inwardly convinced of God’s inspiration to found the Order of the Immaculate Conception, Fr. Papczy<ski spent the following months without any hope for its realization. In his Fundation domus recollectionis he declared: “I lived for almost two years in the house of a nobleman, named Karski, and was seeking ways of starting this Society of the Immaculate Conception that has been long formed in my mind through the inspiration of the Divine Spirit; however, there were no companions, whose presence is required to start such an undertaking.” Disheartened by this situation, he even thought of returning to the Piarists. A glimmer of hope was set aflame by Fr. Franciszek Wilga, the prior of the Cameldolite monastery in Bielany, Warsaw,—his friend and spiritual director—by suggesting that he start a communal life with whatever companions he could get, and seek the canonical approval for this community later. Father Papczy<ski decid- ed to follow this advise. Shortly after he joined a group of so-called hermits living in the Korabiew Forest. Even at a first glance this appeared to be an act of true heroic trust in the Lord. The following weeks displayed the great human poverty, upon which Fr. Papczy<- ski had to build the foundations of the Congregation of Marians. Agreeable at the outset, his first companions proved to be reluctant to seriously regard their voca- tion and the rule. What is more: Bishop Jacek Íwi"cicki ’s canonical visitation forcibly placed the Marians within the structure of a heremitical life, which was far from Fr. Papczy<ski ’s original intention. In time Stanis = aw Krajewski and others left the community, leaving Fr. Papczy<ski with one companion only. Those who L EST Y OU R EMAIN W ITHOUT W ORK IN THE V INEYARD OF THE L ORD 80