Lumen 2018

Stanislaus sent a letter expressing his gratitude for Fr. Kraus’s kind- ness and announcing his prompt visit. The two seminarians also wrote a letter to the Vicar-Provincial Superior regarding their own release from the congregation, but they did so before the papal breve arrived in Kazimierz and Fr. Kraus told them to turn to higher su- periors with this matter. 209 Negotiations At that time, the papal breve regarding the release of those who did not want to take solemn vows was already known in Warsaw and Prievidza. On its basis, the Rector of the house in Prievidza, Fr. Paul of the Birth of the Most Holy Virgin, released Fr. Matthew of St. Francis and Br. Vaclav of the Holy Trinity. But an attempt to release a few religious from the Warsaw house from their vows had a some- what comical aspect. Three Piarists, Fr. Boniface of St. Alexius, Fr. Paul of Christ Jesus, and Br. Anselm of the Holy Martyrs, submitted a request to the Rector of the Warsaw house to be released from the congregation. Convinced that their work and presence in the con- gregation were very important, they expected that their confreres would ask them to stay. When they realized how little they were thought of and how glad the Rector seemed to be to release them, they changed their minds and took the solemn vows. 210 One day after he had sent his letter, Fr. Stanislaus arrived at Kaz- imierz. Kraus writes that he was accompanied by a guard from the Bishop’s Curia sent by the Auxiliary Bishop of Cracow in the Ordi- nary’s absence. This caution is not surprising. We recall what had happened to Fr. Papczynski in this house once before. The guard in- formed Fr. Kraus of Fr. Papczynski’s arrival and delivered the bishop’s request that nothing bad should happen to him. Then the conversation between Fr. Papczynski and Fr. Kraus took place. Dur- ing this conversation Fr. Papczynski complained that the reason why he was leaving the congregation was Provincial Opatowski’s and Fr. Haligowski’s attitude. In response to Fr. Kraus’s charges that he was 205 At the Crossroads