Saint Stanislaus Papczynski — The Life and Writings

the following year, in 1654, after he finished his studies of phi- losophy at a Jesuit college in Rawa Mazowiecka. It was during Papczynski’s second year of novitiate that Pope Alexander VII, acknowledging the Piarists’ positive efforts in addressing their difficulties, restored the order’s status as a papal foundation through a document issued on January 24, 1656, titled Dudum felicis recordationis . Six months after the is- suance of this brief, Papczynski completed his novitiate, and on July 22, made his first profession in the renovated Piarist Order whose full name is the Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools. When the Piarists established their houses in Poland, they were under the administration of the Polish-German province, which had its headquarters in Nikolsburg, Moravia. Numerous vocations in Poland made possible the formation of the Polish Province, which was erected in 1662. Two years later, the first provincial chapter of the newly formed province took place in Podoliniec, and Fr. Papczynski was elected a delegate repre- senting the Warsaw house. It is worth mentioning that he was responsible for drafting a proposal that would give the chapter body the power to elect provincial superiors and other superi- ors. His proposal postulated a change in the existing law, which stated that such an election was to be made by the order’s su- perior general and his council in Rome. Papczynski’s proposal was accepted by the provincial chapter and sent to the superior general. The superior general approved the request and, during the general chapter of 1665, informed the Polish delegates of his decision. From here on, the Polish province was to nomi- nate three candidates, from whom the general and his council would elect the provincial superior. In this situation of transi- tion and of ongoing adjustments in formation and administra- tion, personal and ethnic conflicts began to erupt, turning later into sharp clashes and strife. These conflicts deepened when Papczynski began to oppose suggestions to mitigate the Piarist rule. He wanted the Piarists to remain faithful to the ideals of poverty and strict religious observance. S AINT S TANISLAUS P APCzyNSkI 12