Lumen 2018

Vienna. 97 A crucifix from the 17 th century, a monstrance dating back to 1669, a Chapel of the Souls in Purgatory by the viaduct, and a portrait of Fr. Papczynski (kept at the monastery) also have survived. Before the cassation of the monastery in 1864, there were eight religious at the Korabiew Forest (called the Marian Forest [Puszcza Marianska] after 1782). One of the remaining Marians, Fr. Peter Ko- morowski, was in charge of the church until 1870. Afterwards, the diocesan priests took over the pastoral work. Towards the end of the 19 th century,the church belonged to the parish of Mszczonow. 98 In 1891, Rev. Josaphat Lagodzinski took charge of the church, and it was due to his efforts that a parish was established here in 1906. In March of 1957, Marian Fathers took over the parish, but after two years they were forced by the Communist authorities to leave it. From March 24, 1955, Rev. Anthony Sieminski fulfilled the duties of the pastor here. He compiled a “Chronicle of the Parish,” which is a very important source of information. The Marians returned to their monastery and the forest parish in 1968. Today, the Marian Forest, located among the woods on the Ko- rabiewka River, 60 kilometers away from Warsaw and exactly the same distance from Lodz, 17 kilometers away from Skierniewice and 10 kilometers away from Zyrardow, has a new church under the title of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a new monastery of the Congregation of Marian Fathers, an old Church of St. Michael, a retreat house with the Eastern Chapel, a religious house of the Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus, wayside shrines, the Chapel of the Souls in Purgatory, and St. John Nepomucen (by the viaduct), the monuments to Thaddeus Kosciuszko, and to the in- surgents of 1863. At the cemetery, there are the graves of the soldiers who died defending the homeland and a tall cross raised to com- memorate all those who were killed by the enemies of the nation in unknown circumstances and places. Within the borders of the parish, which numbers four thousand souls today, there is also a church in Studzieniec under the patron- 273 Foundation of a New Religious Order