The Renewal of the Order redone 2018

13 Introduction In a letter from St. Petersburg dated September 8/9, 1908, Rev. Matulewicz requested Father General Sekowski for admission to the Congregation of Marian Fathers for himself and for Rev. Franciszek Buczys, his friend and also an alumnus of the Mariampole High School and professor of the Theological Academy, and he declared his readiness to work on reactivation of the Order. 22 Father General Sekowski responded to Rev. Matulewicz’s proposals with great joy. It was certainly a harbinger of the realization of his own efforts and the fulfillment of his prayers. In a letter on October 14, 1908, he wrote: “Never in my life, and especially never since I have joined the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Holy Virgin, have I experienced such joy as I did at the moment I read the letter of the Honorable Professor.” 23 The two priests, Matulewicz and Buczys, together with Father General Sekowski, began their energetic efforts. They asked influential people for help — Rev. Zygmunt Chelmicki and Cecylia Plater-Zyberk in Warsaw and Rev. Kazimieras Prapuolenis in Sejny. In November of 1908, Rev. Matulewicz met with an official of the Department of Religious Affairs, Nefedyev, who confirmed the known position of the government: noth- ing can be done. We need to await action by the Duma. 24 The period of the thaw ended and it was obvious that nothing could be achieved by legal means. On April 24, 1909, the ailing Fr. Sekowski was asking Rev. Matulewicz: “Is there even a spark of hope left or should I let go and pre- pare two coffins, one for myself and one for the Order?” 25 Beginnings of the reform of the Congregation of Marian Fathers Since it was impossible to join the Order legally, Rev. Matulewicz and Rev. Buczys decided that they could achieve their purpose only 22 See Document 4. 23 See Document 5. 24 See Document 4, 6-8; LVA, set 1674, inv. 2, vol. 50, pp. 24-25, letter of J. Matulewicz to K. Prapuolenis, [December 7-13, 1908]. 25 See Document 9.