Lumen 2018

261 Foundation of a New Religious Order Father Papczynski reached the Korabiew Forest in the evening. He did not find Krajewski there, but the two companions of his host welcomed him. One of them was Simon Werbicki, a Franciscan ter- tiary, who had spent some time in Italy, where he had lived for four years as a hermit by a holy cave near Subiaco. He wore the habit of a hermit and was a guest at the Korabiew Forest. He intended to join Fr. Papczynski’s “Society.” We know his name (alias: Wierzbicki) from the act of visitation conducted by Bishop Swiecicki on October 24 th of the same year. Krajewski’s other companion was an organist. A boy servant also lived with them. 57 After, as was his custom, Fr. Papczynski had invoked the holy pa- trons and protectors of people and places, he went to the cell that was pointed out to him. The cell was built by a Lithuanian soldier, John Nowosielski, who had lived in it for two years as a penance. Upon entering his cell, Fr. Stanislaus commended himself humbly and wholeheartedly to the Most Holy Virgin and her protection. To her maternal hands, he entrusted the fate of the Congregation that he was founding. He also invoked the intercession of St. Jerome whose memory was being honored on that very day. 58 The next day Fr. Papczynski immediately assumed the role of the director of the Korabiew hermits, for he wanted to initiate them into the religious observance. Early in the morning, he woke them up for prayers, 59 but they did not like the new routine; they simply were not used to a life of prayer and penance. Father Stanislaus quickly realized that he was dealing with people who were not used to reli- gious obedience. They, in turn, expressed their unhappiness to Kra- jewski when he returned to the hermitage. They complained that they were being forced to pray when they would have preferred to work. In reality, they wanted to live carefree lives, supporting them- selves from the alms given by those who thought that they were saintly hermits. Krajewski, who circulated among the local manor houses, often returned with very generous gifts. 60 But this was not how Fr. Stanislaus understood religious life. He wanted both to work and pray because a man is fully human when he works and prays.