The Renewal of the Order redone 2018

The Renewal of the Marian Order in 1909-1910 42 N O . 3. R EQUEST BY THE M ARIAMPOLE M ARIANS TO THE B ISHOP OF S EJNY [P IOTR W IERZBOWSKI ] 1 TO APPROVE F ATHER W INCENTY S EKOWSKI AS THEIR S UPERIOR Mariampol, November 24, 1892 Most Reverend Bishop, On the 15th of this month and year our Superior, Rev. Jerzy Czesnas died, thus leaving us without the most essential condition for communal life, meager as the Congregation is now. Trusting in God and in the protection of the Most Holy Virgin Mary as well as depending upon help from Your Excellency, we are making our last effort, which is all we can do, to protect this one and only monastery of our Congregation, under the title of Immaculate Conception of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, from falling. With this purpose, in accordance with our monastic laws, we have selected a Superior in the person of Rev. Wincenty Sekowski, a mem- ber of our Congregation, who only for the sake of the community has accepted our choice; and thus we are most humbly requesting Your Excellency to accept and present him to the government authorities so that he might legally and freely manage the monastery as well as the Mariampole parish. Sending this request to you, our Luminary and Shepherd, believing it to be our holy duty to express our gratitude, and prostrating our- selves at your feet, we remain as your servants until death, Rev. Wincenty Sekowski Rev. Kazimierz Pestynnik 2 Rev. Maciej Gillis 3 LVA, set 1676, inv. 1, vol. 86, p. 10, copy, in Polish, No. 286. 1 Wierzbowski, Piotr Pawel (1818-1893), ordained as a priest in 1841 and thereafter was the Chaplain to Bishop Pawel Straszynski and held the office of a regent in the Sejny Consistory. In 1867 he was nominated a Visitator of Monasteries. In 1872-1893 he was the Bishop of Sejny ( Biskupi , p. 221). 2 Pestynnik, Kazimierz (1828-1893), at the Chapter meeting in 1862 he was elect- ed Novice Master. In 1865 he was nominated General’s Vicar (EAM, p. 42). 3 Gillis, Maciej (1834-1908), in 1865 became the Procurator of the Mariampole monastery (EAM, p. 15).