853 secrets of conscience year of 1649-1650 that he was a student in the course of syntax7 (on the student list his name is written as: “Joannes Papczyński polonus Syntaxista”).8 In mid-May of the year 1650, the college closed due to an approaching plague and Papczyński returned to his family home in Podegrodzie.9 Here, his father sent him to shepherd sheep, because (as Fr. Wyszyński notes) his father “gratis victum non dabat” (did not give food for free). Fr. Wyszyński says that this young “Podolinensium Musarum Alumnus,” now pasturing sheep, was “in schola humilitatis”10 (in the school of humility), because for a youngster with a such an education, shepherding was a humbling occupation. Both fragments appeared in print in the year 1977 as part of the biography VW contained in the Positio.11 First Fragment May You be forever blessed, O Lord, and grant that, after [doing] so many evil deeds,12 I may do good deeds in my vocation, since I truly recognize that, of myself, I am not capable of doing anything that is good. You, though, who read this, do not be surprised by the things I have presented, since I considered it unworthy to hide the goodness of God, and I wanted to encourage you to praise God’s omnipotence and His care for us. To Him be glory, honor, and praise forever. Amen. Second fragment Thus do I thank God, that by His Will, I was then obligated by my parents to pasture sheep (I dare to admit this with a peaceful 7 The word "syntax" here refers to a part of the study of classical Latin grammar that deals with the proper construction of sentences. 8 Positio, p. 18. 9 Cf. VW, § 19 at the end: Positio, p. 671, and also, n. 34. 10 VW, § 20: Positio, p. 671. 11 Cf. Positio, pp. 669-670, 671. 12 Father Papczyński wrote about his “many evil deeds” in SC for his own humiliation, and left these memories, just like Augustine, so that everyone could despise him — as is testified in the informative process (cf. PP, f.71r; art. 44).
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