208 deceased may bring much spiritual good to our community. It would also be a direct link to the old Marian tradition, which existed before the renovation of our Institute (cf. Constitutions of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of the Most B.V.M., Vilnius, 1791, 8–IV). Finally, I cannot omit yet another, in my opinion, element of the Blessed Fr. Stanislaus’s founding charism. It is a charism deeply rooted in the hearts of many of us—let’s say it frankly, but which we fear to openly acknowledge for fear of derisive and sarcastic remarks from our confreres of a different persuasion. I speak here of the habit, or a religious garb, if you will. We must remember that to our Founder the white habit, which he prescribed for his own, as he called them, in honor of the pure Conception of our Lady (NV, IV, 4) did not establish for Blessed Stanislaus a sign of religious consecration, but a kind of a life program for his spiritual sons, a means with which they had to remind the world of the truth of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To him, it was a sign of the particular charism that the Marians undertook in the Church—Lest you remain without work in the Vineyard of the Lord, to the utmost of strength you will promote the honor of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mother of God (…) (NV, I, 2) (cf. The Rule of the Order of Marian Fathers, Vilnius, 1791, p. 10) (cf. Constitutions of the Order of the Immaculate Conception of the M.B.V.M., Vilnius, 1791, 2-VII). The instruction, which our Blessed Founder left in his testament from 1701 testifi es to the fact of how dear and important the matter of the white habit was to him: “If Fr. Joachim is approved again as the coadjutor by the Priests’ agreement, then I bind him on pain of God’s Fearful Judgment not to change anything in the habit, name of the Order or dare to sinfully thwart the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary (…)” Personally, I am deeply convinced that the fi nal words have not yet been spoken on this topic in the history of our Institute. Why? Because I closely observe the modern Church, especially the one, in which I live day to day in America. It is quite obvious to me that modern man, especially young men, need a clear sign—which is the religious habit. It needs to be a sign that would emphasize with particular strength the fact of becoming a new man, which we all strive to become the minute we make our religious profession. Today’s young men who wish to give themselves to God in consecrated life, especially those in the U.S., are very radically disposed and are in need of strong structures and expressive signs. The element of religious solitude from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is completely alien to these men. The young wish to courageously and openly proclaim Christ with their lives and to use to this extent all available means—and this must be respected in them. What is more: American society expects Religious to display this very attitude. I often see in Stockbridge the great trust, with which people are drawn to a priest or a Religious when they
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