233 the Holy Spirit. I knew these truths before, but now they began to touch my mind and heart in a more profound manner. If our originality within the Church is best defi ned by the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God, then we probably are entitled to speak about the Marian school of spirituality of the Immaculate Conception. Historical facts have put an end to the thesis that the “white” Marians were doomed to die out anyway because of their controversial Founder and the vague charism, even if the annihilation of religious orders would have never taken place (by order of the Czar after the January Uprising in 1863). In fact, after many years of crises, a very energetic community working in various countries and cultures had emerged out of the small, little-known and nearly eremitic Order. The Marians reached the peak of their growth in 1786, when they prepared the new Constitutions, which more accurately refl ected the spirit, as well as the charismatic and apostolic ideals of Fr. Papczyński. According to the new laws, the Marians were to work “not only within the Kingdom of Poland, but also in other Christian countries (…), villages and towns in order to guide all people of different walks of life, condition, and intelligence on the road to salvation.” Their other task was to “provide education to the youth in such locations where there was an opportunity for it.” At that time, the Congregation had 26 missionaries whose only occupation was to run missions, retreats, and to assist the local pastors. In some dioceses, the Marians were regarded as the best preachers and retreat masters. In cooperation with the National Education Committee, the Marians had set up schools and hospitals for the sick and the poor at each of their monasteries. Marian-run parishes were exemplary and attracted the faithful from distant parts. At least 12 Marians held the offi ce of theologian and chaplain at the aristocratic courts in the Commonwealth of Poland. Among the Marians, there were men of art and culture. The Order had many candidates who were studying in the novitiate and the seminary. The Roman house provided an opportunity for studies on the highest possible level. It seemed that an outstanding period of growth was in store for the Order. Unfortunately, the religious way of life was then forbidden wherever the Marians served. God did not allow the Order which He had raised up to carry out a specifi c mission in the Church to perish. Blessed George rescued the Marians from extinction and creatively implemented the ideals of Father Founder and the “white” Marians. It is fascinating to see the hand of God working in the soul of Father Renovator who received the comprehension and love for the essence of the Marian vocation on the path of mystical experiences. Father Renovator gave voice to this in his “Instructions” and “Journal.” On January 13, 1911, he wrote: “I thank you,
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