Your fruit will remain

218 Very Rev. Jan M. Rokosz M.I.C. ADDRESS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MASS OF THANKSGIVING FOR THE GIFT OF THE BEATIFICATION OF THE CONGREGATION’S FOUNDER FATHER STANISLAUS PAPCZYNSKI ON THE 306 TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH Gora Kalwaria (Marianki), September 17, 2007 When his days were completed, exhausted by work for God and His Church, voluntary penances, emaciated by almost a month long high fever, at the end of the Great Jubilee, provided with all the sacraments, with frequent desires and yearning for leaving behind the world in order to be with Christ, in the presence of his brothers, with inexpressible, heartfelt sentiments of love and piety, that is in a prayerful sigh, embracing the Lord’s Cross, after sunset on September 17 th 1701, he peacefully gave his soul to God. While we are gathering on the day after the Beatification of Father Founder at his tomb, I could not leave out the description of his death, passed on by his first companions. As we are celebrating the Eucharist of Thanksgiving for the grace of Father Stanislaus Papczynski’s being raised to the glory of the saints, we are gath- ered exactly in this place, on that same day and at almost that same hour 306 year ago, when our Blessed Father entered through death into the glory of Heaven. It is impossible not to notice in this, a sign of God’s Providence which Father Pap- czynski entrusted to the future of the Congregation of the Marian Fathers. That Providence has led us through three centuries, and is with us at this special mo- ment and place in the history of salvation, and will always accompany us. With special joy, I greet all the guests from the Vatican, from the diverse di- casteries, first of all the Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, His Eminence, Cardinal Franc Rodé, who is representing His Holiness Benedict XVI. From the bottom of my heart I appreci- ate Your Eminence’s acceptance of our invitation. The presence of Your Eminence