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Little
Servant Sisters
of the Immaculate Conception |
Blessed Edmund Bojanowski, Founder |
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Little
Servant Sisters
of the Immaculate Conception |
Blessed Edmund Bojanowski, Founder |
"Thank
God humbly for the grace of His holy inspiration.
May
the holy fire of God's love
glow
more brightly and ardently in your heart
so
that neither difficulties nor anything in the world
would
lessen the zeal in your heart in this spiritual endeavor."
Encouragement of Blessed Edmund
| God
in His providence brought about the religious family of the Little Servant
Sisters of the Immaculate Conception through an outstanding celibate lay
apostle. Led by the light of the Gospel and the mind of the Church, furthermore
motivated by Christian love he acted directly in the temporal sphere as
a forerunner, over one hundred years before, of the theme of Vatican Council
II on the renewal of the temporal order by the laity.
Who
was this educator, writer and lay apostle?
was born on November 14, 1814 in the region of Great Poland, the son of a typical family of landed gentry with deep religious and patriotic convictions. Of frail health himself, he endeavored to use his talents and spiritual gifts to the utmost, in order to be of service in the preservation of the religious, social and human values of his fatherland divided by the foreign powers at the time. Thanks to his sensitivity and openness to the needs of the human person, particularly the defenseless and the most needy - the child, the sick and the poor - he knew how to read the times and respond generously to them. Inspired by Christ, "In so far as you have done this to one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it to me" (Matthew 25:40) Edmund became a father to orphans and a servant to the poor and the sick. He also organized libraries and established daycare and preschool centers. With confidence and zeal he was able to inspire and encourage others to the service of love, and founded the Congregation of the Little Servant Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary Conceived Immaculate on May 3, 1850. As the model of life and action, Edmund set before the members Mary Immaculate, who at God's call responded generously, "I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me" (Luke 1:38)-and initiated also a splendid service for the whole of humanity, a service extended to all generations. Edmund
died in the opinion of sanctity on August 7, 1871 on the Holy Hill
near Lezno. His testament was expressed with far-reaching values for his
Little Servants, "What I have recommended always, I repeat today, above
all, I recommend simplicity. As long as it lasts in the Congregation, the
blessing of God will be upon it. Had I all the Sisters gathered here, I
would repeat what St. John at the time of his death, told his disciples,
'My sons, love one another...' and this I would continually repeat: 'My Sisters,
love one another.'"
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of chastity, poverty and obedience. Attracted by the simplicity, love, and works of mercy of their founder, they desire to make themselves a gift for the whole world. A federation of four religious branches, originating from the same source and divided during the partition of Poland by the bordering nations in the 19th century, today approximately 3,500 members, with religious houses in Poland, and countries throughout Europe, America, Africa and Asia, realize the testament of their founder in communal life and a variety of apostolates. |