Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

35 quently in situations that required their clear account of the community’s beginnings. The history of the Marian Order, closely united with the his- tory of Poland, was overflowing with turbulent events, due to which many documents from before the Tsarist’s suppressive action did not survive to our times, being lost or destroyed. On the other hand, the documentation created after the Renewal of the Congregation was in much better shape. What is more, the subject of the Congregation’s date of origin was com- ing up directly or indirectly far more often than before. Therefore, there are many historical research papers and other 20 th -Century materials that confirm the instability of the Marians’ historical perception of their own beginnings. The beginning of the Marians according to the Krótki przegląd historii Zgromadzenia [Brief review of the Congregation’s history] of 1934 This brief history of the Congregation of 1934 was one of the first com- prehensive works on Marian history, written after the Renovation. 3 It is possible, that its editor was Fr. C. Reklaitis, MIC, the Procurator General of the Congregation, since he also prepared and published the Elenchus for the 25 th Anniversary of the Congregation’s renewal, which also included the aforesaid brief history. Therefore, this was – to an extent – an official document since it was prepared by members of the General Council and intended to be promoted community-wide or at least among the superiors (as far as I know, before World War II, the Elenchus was not mailed to every community member, but only to the superiors and some key per- sons). The history of the Marians was provided in three brief chapters of several pages in the book. The titles of the chapters are very significant: I. From the beginning [ origo ] to the Renovation (1670-1919); II. Renovation (1909-1910); III. From the Renovation to modern times or the 25 years of a new life (1909-1934). The title of the first chapter clearly states that the year 1670 marks the beginning ( origo ) of the Marians’ existence. Next, that same date appears in the title of the first subsection: Origo (1670) et erec- tio canonica (1679). However, it would be pointless to search the contents of this document for an explanation or elaboration on the view stated in the titles. The brief first section thus provided with telegraphic terseness the most important facts from the beginnings of the Congregation: “The 3 Brevis Conspectus Historicus Congregationis CC. RR. Marianorum, in: Elenchus sodalium et domorum operumque totius Congregationis Clericorum Regularium Marianorum [ ... ] pro anna Domini 1934, Romae 1934, 3-16.