Italy, Rome: Communiqué of the General Superior on the Canonization Process of Blessed Stanislaus Papczyński, Founder of the Marian Fathers – in English

COMMUNIQUE OF THE GENERAL SUPERIOR
ON THE CANONIZATION PROCESS OF
BLESSED STANISLAUS PAPCZYNSKI, FOUNDER OF THE MARIAN FATHERS

Rome, November 16, 2012
Prot. No 210/2012

Dear Confreres:

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the beatification of the Founder of our Congregation – Blessed Stanislaus Papczyński. We commemorate this event, for which our Marian community had been awaiting for many long years. We recognized this event as God’s blessing for us and as another sign of Divine Providence, confirming that our religious community is needed in the Church and wanted by God.

The beatification not only did not slow down devotion to our Father Founder, but it made it stronger. Many of the faithful spontaneously took up spreading devotion to the Blessed by sharing various materials about him, including novenas through his intercession.

In 2008, an alleged miracle through the intercession of Blessed Stanislaus Papczyński took place. The case was brought to my attention the same year. With the help of sympathetic people, we managed to collect all of the necessary documents and to describe the course of the illness and the recuperation.

While we were in consultation with various doctors and experts, we came to recognize that this particular case of an alleged miracle is complex and difficult. However, the experts did not think it hopeless and, therefore, they suggested starting the process on the diocesan level. Afterwards, we would submit it to the proper (Vatican) Congregation, should we obtain positive results. The process of recognizing the presumed miracle, at the diocesan level was initiated on the 16th of November, 2012.

Therefore, guided by the good of our Congregation, which undoubtedly means the canonization of our Father Founder, by the present letter I ask you all to pray daily, zealously, and constantly for the recognition of the above-mentioned case as a miracle granted through the intercession of Blessed Father Stanislaus Papczyński, as well as for his canonization. You can encourage all of the laity associated with our community to also pray for this intention. For this reason, I ask you to celebrate a Holy Mass for this intention in each religious house and parish (should the circumstances allow) on the 17th of every month – the day of Blessed Stanislaus’s passage to heaven. This Mass may also provide an opportunity to deliver an appropriate sermon to the faithful. Seeing that our Father Founder was an untiring venerator of Our Lady and her Immaculate Conception, we commend this matter to Mary’s intercession.

Yours in the Lord and Mary Immaculate,
Andrzej Pakuła, MIC
General Superior