A New Spirit The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Mass., held a special Mass Tuesday, Jan. 27, marking the feast day for this holy priest who remains a cherished and inspirational figure in the Marian community and the Church at large. "We really owe Bl. George so much gratitude for what he's done for the community - not only for renovating it, but for bringing a new spirit into the community," said Shrine Rector Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC. "He wanted the community to love and work for Christ and the Church." Before blessing attendees with a relic of Bl. George, Fr. Anthony shared a history of the man whose motto was "to seek God in all things, to do all things for the greater glory of God." Born in 1871 of peasant Lithuanian parents, Bl. George came of age knowing full well the struggles of living out the faith under a harsh political climate. His native land was under the domination of the Russian czar. By this time, the Marian Order—founded in 1673 by Bl. Stanislaus Papczynski - was on the verge of extinction. Nearly all Marian monasteries had been closed and confiscated. Only one survived - the monastery at Mariampole in Lithuania. Government edict permitted the remaining religious to live out their days in the monastery, but no new candidates could be accepted. This amounted to a death sentence for the Marians. George was born only five kilometers from Mariampole. By age 10, he was an orphan who had already come to know the Marians well. He wanted to become a Marian, and he was deeply distressed to see the community gradually diminishing. He knew the risks and the dangers involved. But Fr. George felt inspired to revive the Order - even if in secret. By 1908, there was one last surviving Marian living in Mariampole, Fr. Vincent SenkusSekowski. Humanly speaking, the end was near. But with Fr. Vincent, Fr. George discussed ways to revive the Marians. In July 1909, after prayer and consultation, Fr. George went to Rome to present the plan to Pope Pius X. He carried with him a letter of recommendation from Fr. Vincent with this heartfelt plea: "... of all the Marians, I am the last survivor. All others have died. Since I am already an old man in frail health, it can safely be assumed that with my death the Marian Order will cease to exist - unless with the permission of the Apostolic See extraordinary measures are undertaken to remedy this situation." In this letter, Fr. Vincent asked the Holy Father to dispense the Marians from wearing the white monastic habit, to allow Fr. George to make his religious profession without the necessary novitiate, and to secretly accept new candidates. He gave reasons for eliminating these customary external signs of a Marian vocation - "because of persecution by the government we cannot function otherwise." Pope Pius X gave his personal approval, encouragement, and blessing. Thus began the great process of renewal of the Marians. With Fr. Vincent's passing in 1911, many thought the Marians ceased to exist. But in reality, the order was just beginning a new phase.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mw==