Rome, July 20, 2007
Dear Confreres:
In view of the upcoming beatification of the Venerable Servant of God Fr. Stanislaus Papczyński, our Founder, many of you expressed interest in obtaining his relics. This letter is to inform you of the guidelines that the Postulator General will observe for the distribution of the relics. He is in charge of this matter ex officio. The following rules are similar to the longstanding practice of numerous religious communities, the founders of which have been raised to the honors of the altar.
1. |
Father Founder’s relics or his bones, in the proper meaning of the word, will be made available only to institutions: i.e. churches, religious houses, chapels, rectors' offices, and church associations. Individuals will not receive relics ex ossibus. |
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2. |
A request for receiving a relic must be sent to the Postulator General. |
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3. |
Relics are given free of charge! |
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4. |
Relics can be available in the following forms:
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5. |
Each Marian will be able to receive a capsule with a piece of the habit that remained in Fr. Founder’s coffin for about 250 years and was obtained during the exhumation. Vice-Postulators in single countries will be able to supply those relics in response to the confreres’ request; |
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6. |
Also, prayercards in six languages are being now prepared; they will contain a piece of cloth in which Fr. Founder’s relics have been wrapped (this is the 3rd class relic). |
I would like to inform you also, that the beatification of Fr. Stanislaus Papczyński is a natural opportunity to deliver his relics to all our confreres around the world. For this reason, I ask everyone who wishes to receive the relics right after the beatification, to submit their petition before August 20, 2007.
I also attach the proposal of the petition for the relic. I ask for this petition to be signed by the Superior of the respective institute.
I trust that the presence of our Fr. Founder’s relic in our communities and parishes will bring about the revival of devotion to Fr. Stanislaus Papczyński, but above all, our conversion and imitation of his way of faith and holiness in unity with Crucified Christ and His Immaculately Conceived Mother.
I would like to encourage all confreres to make a pilgrimage to Fr. Stanislaus’s tomb, which is the first and most important reliquary and the memento of his holiness.
United with you in joyful awaiting for the day of Fr. Founder’s beatification,
Fr. Wojciech Skóra, MIC
Postulator General
REQUEST FOR RELICS EX OSSIBUS
To the Postulator General
of the Congregation of Marian Fathers
of the Immaculate Conception
of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary
On behalf of _________________________ (a religious house, parish, church, etc.) I petition for a relic of Blessed Stanislaus Papczyński, the Founder of the Congregation of Marian Fathers.
This relic will be placed _________________________ (in the altar, chapel, church, etc.) in order to receive veneration of _________________________ (our Marian confreres, the faithful, parishioners, etc.)
Please send us:
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a reliquary with relics1 |
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a capsule with relics |
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a piece of relic without a capsule2 |
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| _________________________ | _________________________ |
date and location |
Signature of House Superior, Pastor, Rector |
1 Relics are made available free of charge; the capsules are paid for by the Postulation’s funds; the price of one reliquary is 150 €.
2 This request must give the explanation of special circumstances in which the relic will be venerated.