Blessed Stanislaus Papczynski Father and Guide of the Marian Vocation

112 is related to it) can be made visible in the décor of a house or a church; in the images and the stained glass windows; in praying for unborn children and the deceased; in confraternities, communities, and societies; in our proclaiming the Word of God and administering the sacraments; in long fl ags or banners and reliquaries (naturally, if such are being used); in the Marians’ attitude towards the community of the faithful gathered in or near the church; in the manner in which they carry out their efforts there, etc.23 However, the Immaculate Conception will be visible in all our works only if it will fi rst become the enlivening center of each one of us and of the entire Congregation. Conclusion The proposals that are presented above for the renewal of our Congregation, our confreres, our communities and our works are not meant for next week, or next month, or even next year. Rather, they are meant for years to come. However, it is not a question of carrying out one or another, but of producing a total conversion and obtaining a general decision to root everything in God and the vision, which the Holy Spirit planted in our Founder and developed in our Congregation. It’s not a question of doing a job which is only cosmetic, but of living a new life in Jesus Christ which God wishes to begin in us for our future. If we allow God to change our hearts and to fi ll them with His grace, new ideas will be born all by themselves, and their realization won’t be too diffi cult. The Marians of tomorrow are already living or are being born today through their religious vows. Creating plans for work outside of the Congregation or even for renewing our works which we are currently running does not make much sense if we don’t make the decision to convert, to reform, and to renew ourselves. In the same way that Blessed Stanislaus Papczyński, being obedient to the Holy Spirit and to his charismatic vision, brought about the foundation of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM, and then began to form, to unite, and to enliven his disciples. In the 18th and 19th centuries, through the power of the Holy Spirit, even individual Marians (most often—the General Superiors) were able to help the Congregation to grow and to be strengthened. Thanks to God’s extraordinary intervention, Blessed George Matulaitis-Matulewicz, faithful to God’s inspiration and guidance, performed the work of the renewal of the Congregation on the brink of its annihilation. God’s continuous 23 Some very interesting proposals for the Marian ministry, especially for the parishes which are in our care, may be found in: M. Kozak MIC, „Parafi a mariańska”—instrumentum laboris, in: „Immaculata”, special issue for the Provincial Convention Service of Authority and Obedience, Licheń, Nov. 17-20, 2008, p. 103-111.

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