Saint Stanislaus Papczynski — The Life and Writings

faTHeR sTanIslaUs PaPCzYnsKI — aDVoCaTe of DIGnITY anD HolIness of lIfe Pastoral letter of the national Conference of bishops in Poland before the canonization of fr. stanislaus Papczynski Dear sisters and dear brothers, At the beginning of today’s Liturgy of the Word, we heard the prayer of king Solomon in which he asks that all nations may know the one God (see 1 kings 8:41-43). Thanks to his constant intimacy with God, Solomon was widely recognized for his wisdom, while Israel knew peace and prosperity. How- ever, in the Gospel (see Lk 7:1-10), Christ gives us the example of a centurion who, although aware of his weakness and sin- fulness, yet deeply believes in Jesus and His healing power. Fol- lowing the example of this centurion, we plead Christ in every Mass for our healing: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word” [...]. Saint Paul re- minds us that there is no other Gospel than this: that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead after three days (see Gal 1:1-2, 6-10). God is constantly raising new witnesses who help people of a particular place and time accept the Gospel and live it out every day. The Church recognizes some of them and proclaims them saints. In a few days, on June 5, 2016, Pope Francis will canonize two new saints in Rome. One of them is a Pole — Stanislaus of Jesus and Mary Papczynski, Founder of the Con- gregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through a canonization, the Church proclaims that the new saints are authentic models of life and intercessors before God, and that their message is important for the Church and the world of our times. Father Papczynski was born in Podegrodzie, near Stary Sacz, in 1631. In his youth, he had several brushes with death. Documents and Homilies from His Canonization 179