Theological Foundations new file

11 FOREWORD In this valuable new work, Fr. Tadeusz Rogalewski, M.I.C., offers us a much-needed synthesis of the writings of Father Founder and Blessed George. Fr. Rogalewski is uniquely suited to carry out this important effort both by his academic skill and his personal experience. His doc- torate in theology has given him the skills needed to delve into the the- ological foundations of the thought of Fr. Stanislaus and Blessed George. And his rich personal experience — as a professor in our sem- inary, retreat director and author — have provided him the occasion to ponder deeply and understand keenly the riches of the spiritual heritage that God has given to both the Marians and to the Church in the persons of our community’s Founder and Renovator. I have two reasons for particularly appreciating and valuing this new work of Fr. Rogalewski. As a young seminarian, seeking to put into writ- ing in English the spiritual heritage of the Marian community, I wrote in 1980 a brief work, Love, Service, Zeal . Its tiny 28 pages made an ever-so tentative effort to sketch the highlights of the Marian spirit. Since that time, much has been written on our history and spirit (though, it is true, lit- tle has appeared in English.) Thanks to the work of the International Historical Institute and Fr. Bukowicz, Subdcn. Gorski, Frs. Krzyzanowski, Makos, and Rogalewski, critical editions of the works of our Founder and our Renovator have been produced and much has been learned about the history of our congrega- tion. Still, no synthesis of any breadth of these new sources and resources had been attempted, in any language. This effort of Fr. Rogalewski is a wonderful gift to those of us who have been waiting for just such a work. My second reason for a special appreciation of this work is more per- sonal. I have had the happy opportunity to get to know Fr. Rogalewski through our meetings at the International Historical Institute in Rome and during several visits to Poland. He is a man of energy, kindness and dedi- cation. Recently, several of his shorter writings have been translated and published in English. The publication of this work will, I am certain, make him better known and give his efforts well-deserved appreciation by a wider audience. It promises to be for a new generation of English-speaking Marians the foundational work that Fr. Witold Nieciecki’s Spirituality of the Congregation of Marians was for Marians in the 1970s. May it be just the