207 I believe it suitable that a note about the need to promote the associations with Marian characteristics, and particularly the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, as a particular feature of our apostolic work, be placed in our Constitutions (§18 or §117) or in our Directory (§93). Furthermore, I think that §3 of our Constitutions which speaks of the Congregation’s principle works needs to be more specifi c. It does not mention the promotion of devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. nor the assistance for the deceased. What is more: for dozens of years its content has been quoted, among others, by Annuario Pontifi cio, thus creating much confusion and even distorting our charism, instead of providing its clear and concise image. We, on the other hand, always write in our vocation publications that it involves the promotion of devotion to the Immaculate Conception, praying for the deceased and apostolic work in its broad meaning… The second element of our founding charism which needs, in my opinion, a complete revision is the eschatological element, which should not be limited to the chanting of Vespers during the Octave of All-Souls Day (because others are doing this as well), or a few pious notes in the Constitutions. The Marian eschatological charism ought to have a more visible and practical form so that it may be a clear and inspiring characteristic of our life and mission in the Church. This is what Blessed Stanislaus calls us to in his Norma vitae, making the prayer for the deceased the second most important cause of the Marian Institute after spreading devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.: “Lest you remain without work in the Vineyard of the Lord, (…) with utmost zeal, piety and fervor assist the souls of the faithful departed subjected to expiatory pains—especially the souls of soldiers and those who died of pestilence” (NV I, 2). Beside this, I don’t have any sort of exceptional public mortifi cation in mind or any lengthy prayers for the deceased. At this present time in our lives, I think it adequate to introduce the custom of weekly chants of Vespers for the deceased along with our faithful, in imitation of our many parishes, and to give this practice a legal status in our Directory (§ 93) or at least in the Statutes of the individual Provinces. We ought to permanently introduce into the prayers of the faithful during each Eucharist celebrated by the Marians, an intention for the Poor Souls in Purgatory—it does not take much to always remember this. Besides, wouldn’t it be possible for us to celebrate a Holy Mass according to the formula for the deceased whenever the Liturgical Calendar allows, or to petition the Holy See for the privilege of daily celebrating the Holy Mass for the Deceased according to our own formula during the Octave of the Solemnity of All the Faithful Departed? (cf. Constitutions of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of the Most B.V.M., Vilnius, 1791, 8–IV) I believe that adding a short note to our Constitutions (§19 or §75), stating that the Marians offer their daily rosary for the
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