Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

112 Dmitrijs Artjomovs MIC Oblatio : From Individualism to a Charismatic Community Introduction Our last General Chapter, celebrated in Rome in 2017, issued a Declara- tion, which resolved the matter as to which moment in our Congregation’s history should be regarded as its origin. 1 Although in the times after the renewal, it was believed that the date of the Marian Congregation’s foun- dation was October 24, 1673, i.e., when Bishop Stanislaus Jacek Święcicki (1615–1696) issued the act of visitation of the religious community living in the Korabiew Forest, yet, according to some confreres, this view was an interpolation of 20 th century Church Law onto the 17 th century situation. The debate on this topic also produced other opinions 2 . It should be noted that the White Marians’ tradition regarded the day of December 11, 1670, as the initiation of our Congregation. On that day, our Father Founder, St. Stanislaus Papczyński declared his intent to found a new Congregation, which he did at the same time that he received his dispensation from the religious vows in the Piarist Order. Through the profession of the religious vows, he also spiritually united himself with new Congregation, “which by the grace of God I resolve to found).” 3 The text of his vows and his future plan are known as the Oblatio . For this reason, and following the logic of the earlier tradition, the General Chapter made its decision. Being the expression of our holy Father Founder’s original intentions, the Oblatio is an important document showing the shape of the future Con- gregation and setting its course of development. Although this document 1 Declaration by the General Chapter recognizing the profession of the oblatio by St. Stanis- laus Papczyński on December 11, 1670, as the beginning of the Congregation of Marian Fathers , in Documenta Capituli Generalis Congregationis CC. Marianorum A.D. 2017 Romae celebratum , Roma 2017, pp. 26-28. 2 Cf. Franciszek Smagorowicz, Początek Zgromadzenia Marianów. Narodzenie nowej trady- cji , in: “Ephemerides Marianorum” 1(2012), pp. 369-391. 3 Oblation , in: Historical Writings of Blessed Stanislaus Papczyński , Stockbridge, 2007, p. 28.