Lumen 2018

S TANISLAUS P APCZYNSKI 324 he was already seriously ill and wanted very much to settle any matters regarding the Marian community — the matters that were so close to his heart. Thus, the document of the second approbation can be considered to be the last testament left by the bishop to the Congre- gation of the Immaculate Conception. His personal testament bears the same date as the document in which the ailing bishop announced his second approbation for the Congregation of Marians. The pages of the bishop’s testament emanate with simplicity, sincerity, great hu- mility, deep faith, and the love of God. Father Stanislaus often visited his dying protector and friend. Bishop Wierzbowski was worried that he could not leave much to the community in his last will. During one of the last visits, Fr. Stanislaus asked the bishop for his paternal blessing for the Congregation and asked himwhat he wanted to leave them as his testament. The saintly bishop gave his blessing and replied that he was leaving them Divine Providence. Father Papczynski re- ceived this gift with gratitude — “he was overjoyed and praised the Lord.” From that day on, he began to pray three “Our Fathers” and one “Hail Mary” twice a day in honor of Divine Providence and or- dered his confreres to preserve this pious practice in the Congrega- tion for ever. 256 Later, with the approval and the privileges granted by the Holy See, a Confraternity of Divine Providence was established at the Ce- nacle. Many prominent people joined it and celebrated the feast of Divine Providence four times a year with great enthusiasm. Everyday experience demonstrated that Divine Providence was the best patron of the monastery. When other monasteries, much better endowed than the Marians, often ran out of funds, the Cenacle of Divine Prov- idence always had enough food, means for the construction of the monastery, and other things necessary for a normal religious life. 257 It is from this moving testament of the saintly bishop that the de- votion of the Marians to Divine Providence originated. This devotion is expressed in the annual feast at the Church of the Cenacle at Gora Kalwaria, celebrated to this day on the sixth Sunday after Pentecost. It is also the title of the Polish Province of the Marians.