historical writings 930 opportunity to give the confreres spiritual encouragement and admonition. Therefore, it can be deduced that a General Chapter was held shortly beforehand, where the aforementioned election took place. However, we have no documentary confirmation of this Chapter of the election, because no documents related to it have survived. 1. Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary, unworthy Superior of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Marian Fathers Assisting the Deceased. Greetings to the Brothers in the [Korabiew] Forest and in the Cenacle of the Lord. 2. Unceasingly concerned about your salvation and the good of the Congregation, both for increasing its good as well as for attaining this salvation by divine grace, we seek and make use of those means, by which we might — by the mercy of God — obtain both for ourselves merit before God and for you a just remuneration for [your] good works. 3. Therefore, that we might more fervently and assiduously hasten along the path of the Lord’s commands, foreseeing that, in addition to heavenly help, the impulses coming from our minds are also necessary, because we cannot be everywhere and always serve you by both good and salvific instruction (although we are among you the most worthless and the least suitable) to inspire each of you to perfection, therefore, in regard to this care and this task we receive the brother, dearly beloved to us in Christ, Joachim of St. Ann,326 elected by you as our Vicar and successor. From all and each of you, we require and implore you in the Lord, that you be candidly and honestly obedient in all things, to his devout exhortations and just decrees, as well as whatever sort of ordinances that do not oppose our own, which first of all 326 In 1690, Joachim of St. Ann Kozłowski (born 1658), subdeacon, was appointed “instructor” for his confreres in the Korabiew Forest (Cf. above, HW, p. 919, n. 9: Letter to the Marians in the Korabiew Hermitage, § 3). In 1691, Kozłowski, still a subdeacon, accompanied Fr. Stanislaus on his journey to Rome. After returning to Poland in 1691, he was ordained a deacon and priest. Cf. Positio, p. 617, n. 2.
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