The Renewal of the Order redone 2018

29 Introduction The growth of the Congregation under the leadership of Rev. Jerzy Matulewicz Remembering the encouragement of Cardinal Vives y Tuto to develop communal life “because there is no monastery without it,” Rev. Matulewicz rented a house for the summer vacation of 1910 on the property of the Plater family in the village of Pohulanka near Dzwinsk and he invited all Marians there. 89 Father Sekowski, who could not come, wrote to the gathering with envy: “How lucky you are now to be gathering in this seclusion. You have a veritable spiri- tual feast. You can both pray ardently and at the same time rest after the toils of the entire year.” 90 During this gathering, Rev. Totoraitis was accepted as a novice. It was on September 8, 1910, probably in Mariampole, that Rev. Franciszek Buczys made his initial monastic vows, probably to Father Sekowski. 91 On April 10, 1911 on Monday of Holy Week, Father Wincenty Sekowski died in Mariampole at the age of 70. What had loomed as a threat that had spurred everyone to hurry, especially during the past two years, finally had happened. Two young Marians, Rev. Buczys and Rev. Pius Andziulis, took part in the funeral. 92 Thus, there were no “two coffins” as Father Sekowski had so feared. As it turned out, the haste on the part of all concerned, including the Roman Curia, was quite justified. The legal work on Marian Renewal was finished just a few months before the death of Father General Sekowski, or at the very last moment. Before his death, Father Sekowski bequeathed to Rev. Matulewicz his savings in the amount of 6000 rubles. The Russian authorities did not respect his will as being performed by a monk in solemn vows, and they confiscated the money. 93 89 LVA, set 1674, inv. 2, vol. 37, pp. 33-34, letter of J. Matulewicz to J. Totoraitis, June 3, 1910. 90 LVA, set 1674, inv. 2, vol. 97, pp. ? letter of W. Sekowski to J. Matulewicz, February 23, 1910. 91 LVA, set 1676, inv. 1, vol. 142, p. 6, protocol of vows, October 6, 1910. 92 Kucas, p. 84. 93 Ibid.