Lumen 2018

Father Papczynski came to this world during the time of Poland’s political splendor which, nonetheless, obscured an internal decay that had already set in. His lifetime coincided with the time of latent tragedy, strife, and struggles, which led to the downfall of the Com- monwealth of the Gentry [Res publica — E.StJ]. Papczynski tried to direct the nation onto the right path by teaching the living and praying for the dead. 4 Much has been written about Fr. Papczynski’s life and work. His first biography was written around the year 1705 by Fr. Mansueto Leporini, OFM Ref., member of the Order of the Franciscan Friars Reformati. He was invited to the Marians to assume the duties of a lecturer in philosophy and theology (1703-1706; 1709) and those of a Novice Master (1704-1706 and 1724-1725). He also fulfilled the duties of Visitator and General Commissary (1715). He was an honest and educated man. He worked as a lecturer at the monastery in Warsaw even when Fr. Papczynski was still alive and, in the years 1716-1719, he held the office of the Provincial Superior of his Con- gregation. The information that he gathered about the Servant of God came from the eyewitnesses who knew Fr. Papczynski person- ally, among them — Fr. Joachim of St. Anne Kozlowski. He also had access to the Marian archives. He prepared a concise biography of Fr. Papczynski under the title Vita Fundatoris Congregationis Polonae Ordinis Immaculatae Conceptionis Beatae Mariae Virginis and included it in a book called Protocollum Ordinis Immaculatae Conceptionis Polonae Congregationis, which contained copies of se- lected important documents and correspondence concerning the Founder and the Congregation. Later, at the order of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, it was reprinted from that book and included in the Summarium of his beatification process. Leporini’s goal, as he wrote Fr. Papczynski’s biography, was primarily didactic in na- ture. As a Novice Master, he wanted to familiarize the novices with the life of their Founder. The next writer who undertook the task of writing and publishing a biography of Fr. Papczynski was Fr. Lucas Rosolecki, SP, rector of S TANISLAUS P APCZYNSKI 18