St Stan Illustrated Story

I NTRODUCTION J une 5, 2016, marks for us, the Marians, a sign of God’s abundant mercy for the Congregation – the canonization of our Founder, Blessed Stanislaus Papczynski. Our Founder has been shown as a role model for all Christians, while the attention of the entire Church was directed to the charism of our Community. For various reasons, Fr. Stanislaus Papczynski’s canonization proc- ess, started in 1767, was interrupted in 1775. The political situation in Poland of the following decades did not allow for its reopening, which was made possible only in 1952. On June 13, 1992, Pope Saint John Paul II issued a decree on Fr. Papczynski’s heroic virtues. The decree states: “It is considered to be a certain thing that the Servant of God Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary Papczyński practiced the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, the cardinal virtues of prudence, jus- tice, temperance, and fortitude, and other virtues associated with these to a heroic degree.” By his Apostolic Letter of September 12, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI approved the beatification of Fr. Stanislaus, which was solemnly performed at the Marian Shrine in Lichen (Poland) by the papal legate, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., Secretary of State, acting on his behalf. Finally, on June 5, 2016, Pope Francis proclaimed the Founder of the Marians a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church on St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Despite the passing of the centuries, the interest of the faithful for the figure of Saint Father Stanislaus did not diminish. On the contrary, it is growing stronger. Many people turn in prayer to his intercession and their prayers are being heard. Numerous letters of thanksgiving, which continue to come testify to this. Many people request prayer cards with his relics and read with interest his biography and his works available in English language. The surviving writings of the Saint that we came to know are a testament not only to his vast knowledge of spiritual mat- ters but above all to his close unity with God. In answer to numerous requests from our confreres and the English- speaking venerators of Saint Father Stanislaus, we decided to reprint this richly illustrated book about his life originally titled, “Under the Banner of Mary Immaculate,” which first appeared in 1968. We do so in the firm belief that nothing speaks better to one’s imagination than a picture, which also facilitates the learning and makes the assimilation more permanent. 5