Lumen 2018

little book entitled Secreta Conscientiae , in which he confessed, as if during a confession, the sins and transgressions of his youth. 69 Only the two following fragments from this book survived and were quoted by Fr. Wyszynski in his biography of Fr. Papczynski: “Be blessed, O Lord, for ever and grant that, after so many bad deeds, I may perform good deeds in my vocation, for, indeed, by myself I am not capable of any good. And you, who are reading these words, be not surprised that I have talked about it, for I believed that it is not proper to conceal God’s goodness. It is my desire to encourage you, too, to glorify God’s omnipotence and His care for us. May honor, praise and glory be His for ever. Amen.” 70 “Therefore, I give thanks to God that, by His will, I was given the duty of tending the sheep, because (and I still remember that) when I walk in the fields minding the flock, I keep my conscience pure and holy. I humbly ask You, my Lord, may the Divine Provi- dence of Your Majesty guide me till the end of my life. I trust and believe that it will be so. May You be glorified in all my actions, thoughts, and words. Amen.” 71 Secreta Conscientiae was addressed to his spiritual director, i.e., to Fr. Novari, who was Provincial Superior Conti’s substitute in admin- istering the Piarist houses in the territory of Poland. It was under his guidance and direction that Stanislaus of Jesus Mary prepared himself for his religious profession. Father Novari was a man filled with the apostolic spirit, with abiding love for virtue, a man who loved his re- ligious order and was zealous in preserving discipline — according to the spirit of the founder. For Stanislaus Papczynski, he was a wor- thy successor of Fr. Franco from the first year of his novitiate. 72 It is no wonder, then, that both of them were included in the Catalogue of the Venerable Servants of God of the Order of the Piarist Fathers published in Rome in 1710. 73 The evening finally came when Stanislaus of Jesus Mary was getting ready to make a complete offering to God through his profession of S TANISLAUS P APCZYNSKI 110