historical writings 880 the Province.105 Therefore, I had to decide to ask to be released [from vows].106 12. To the enmity of Fr. General was added one even more hideous (as it was even nearer) enmity, namely, that of Fr. Provincial. He was Wenceslaus of the Most Holy Sacrament, the author of my vocation,107 as well as of my release [from it].108 I admit that he favored me much until — according to both my conscience and my freedom of spirit — I quite freely reproached certain of his activities, particularly his immoderate occupation with alchemy,109 his disregard for pontifical laws,110 his style of governing that was undoubtedly unrestrained and not corresponding to correct doctrines and, beyond that, his striving for office. 13. For I was the first professed member among the Poles.111 I was not the lowest priest112 in the first Warsaw house as a 105 Father Papczyński asked “quite frequently” "saepius" for a Visitator General for the Polish Province. If he did this by letter, none of these have survived. For further details on this subject, cf: SH, p. 45, n. 53. 106 Cf. § 48. 107 This is the only information we have concerning the origin of Fr. Stanislaus’ vocation to the Piarists, but we do not have any explanation of these words. Wenceslaus Opatowski of the Most Blessed Sacrament professed solemn vows with the Piarists in 1643, and in 1648 began to teach humanities at the Piarist College in Podoliniec, and it was here that he met Fr. Papczyński, who was a student of syntax at the college from 1649-1650. We have no details about their relationship during that time. A hypothesis of why Opatowski may have had such an influence on Papczyński is given in SH, p. 45, n. 55. 108 Cf. SH, p. 45, n. 56. 109 Cf. SH, p. 46, n. 57. 110 Cf. SH, p. 46, n. 58, where examples are given to confirm this charge. 111 This claim of Fr. Papczyński refers to living Piarists because the first Pole to profess vows (solemn vows, before their abolition in 1646) was Kazimierz Bogatko (d. 1650). Then, before the breve of Alexander VII was promulgated (January 24, 1656), three Poles made their vows as aggregati, only one of whom (Fr. Francis Haligowski) lived past 1663. However, he had to repeat his profession (February 24, 1657) according to the brief of Alexander VII. Thus, Fr. Papczyński, because he made his profession on July 22, 1656, could rightly claim that he was the first professed member among the Poles. 112 In the Elenchus “Familiae Domus Varsaviensis,” which shows 14 members as of December 7, 1666, Fr. Papczyński is placed third, immediately after the Rector and Vice Rector. Cf. Positio, p. 259, n. 32.
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