The Renewal of the Order redone 2018

43 Documents N O . 4. R EQUEST BY R EV . J ERZY M ATULEWICZ TO G ENERAL W INCENTY S EKOWSKI FOR ADMISSION TO THE O RDER TOGETHER WITH HIS FRIENDS St. Petersburg [8/9 September,] 1908 Draft, date inserted later: October 7, 1908 1 Most Revered and Dearest Father, As a guest in Mariampole I pleaded that you, Dear Father, not cease in your endeavors to obtain permission from the authorities to open the monastery. I was doing that for myself and a few of my friends. For a long time I have felt the desire for a more perfect life, but I was loath to leave the Church in our country, where there is so much work and so few workers, and to set out somewhere into foreign lands, so I have stayed. Now, when there is more freedom in our country, when Orders begin to be revived, I would like to realize my desires and in particular, I would like to join the Marian Congregation. I spoke about this with one of my friends; 2 he too would immediately join along with me. We are almost certain that two more of our friends also would like to don the Marian gown. 3 1 The date inserted later into the draft: October 7, 1908. Contents of the letter and reaction of the recipient indicate September 9, 1908. 2 Buczys (Bucys), Franciszek Piotr (1872-1951), a colleague and friend of Rev. Matulewicz. After studies in Sejny, St. Petersburg, and Fribourg, from 1902 to 1915 he was a Professor of Apologetics in the Theological Academy in St. Petersburg. On August 29, 1909, he was accepted into the Congregation of Marian Priests. 3 Cywinski (Civinskas), Antanas (1867-1913), received a doctorate in theology in the Gregorianum in Rome and studied sociology and philosophy in Fribourg (1900-1902), where he was a colleague of Rev. Matulewicz. He was accepted into the Marians on January 9, 1910, but he failed to begin his novitiate because of ill health (EL, I, p. 550). Totoraitis, Jonas (1872-1941), studied in Sejny and Fribourg where he received a doctorate in philosophy in 1904. On January 9, 1910, General Wincenty Sekowski admitted him to the Congregation of Marian Priests. He took vows on July 13, 1911. He taught history at the University of Kowno (1923-1937) and he was the first Provincial of Lithuania (1930-1933). He was the author of many works on the history of Lithuania (EL, V, p. 476).