Edmund Bojanowski
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Edmund Bojanowski (14 November 1814 - 7 August 1871) was a
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
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and the founder of four separate religious congregations. He studied art and
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
during his education in Breslau and
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before distinguishing himself during a
cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
epidemic in which he tended to the ill. Bojanowski founded several
orphanages An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abu ...
and
libraries A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
for the poor and even worked in them to provide for those people. But his main desire was to enter the priesthood: ill health blocked this once and his own death prevented his second attempt after his deteriorating health forced him to stop his ecclesial studies. His beatification cause opened decades after his death and culminated on 13 June 1999 after
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
beatified him in
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
on the occasion of his apostolic visit to the nation.


Life

Edmund Bojanowski was born in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
on 14 November 1814 to the hereditary nobles (
szlachta The ''szlachta'' (Polish: endonym, Lithuanian: šlėkta) were the noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth who, as a class, had the dominating position in the ...
) Walenty Bojanowski and Teresa Umińska. Both his parents were devout in their faith which proved a critical influence on his deep religious convictions formed from childhood. In 1819 he became ill and appeared to die but seemed to return to life a short while later despite doctors declaring that there were slim chances the child would recover. His parents considered this a form of miraculous healing based on their constant petitions for intercession from above. It was upon his recuperation that the child vowed to dedicate his life to the
Blessed Mother Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
. Bojanowski continued to suffer ill health throughout his lifetime and it was due to this that he could not attend school and had to be tutored at home. In 1835 he developed
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
during the course of his education. He later continued his studies at the Breslau college (1832-35; where he studied art and
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
) and also at
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in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
(1836-38; studied art and music but did not complete his philosophical studies). But Bojanowski was far too frail at this time to join the priesthood; this was a vocation that he would attempt again later in life. Bojanowski also translated works from Serbian to Polish during this time. The current period proved one of cultural change and exploration to which he himself contributed through the publication of a historical account of
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
as well as a contribution of his own poems. He was known to spend hours in Eucharistic adoration and often meditated on
Sacred Scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
. He made his Confession once a week and made annual retreats in order to undergo the
Spiritual Exercises The ''Spiritual Exercises'' ( la, Exercitia spiritualia), composed 1522–1524, are a set of Christian meditations, contemplations, and prayers written by Ignatius of Loyola, a 16th-century Spanish priest, theologian, and founder of the Society ...
. His interest in people led him to collect stories as well as songs and proverbs from the rural areas and publish them in "The Friend of the People". Bojanowski also became involved in providing books for schools as well as establishing new libraries and creating
orphanages An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abu ...
for poor children. During the
cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
epidemic during the period 1848-49 he tended to the sick while helping to medicate and comfort them. Due to the rampant sickness he saw around him he helped organize a new hospital (''Dom Miłosierdzia''). He helped to fund hospices and orphanages. He deemed service to the poor as an important task and due to this was able to found a religious order of
nuns A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
known as called the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mother of God. This later led to the creation of separate religious orders in
Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...
as well as other cities such as
Wrocław Wrocław (; german: Breslau, or . ; Silesian German: ''Brassel'') is a city in southwestern Poland and the largest city in the historical region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the River Oder in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Europe, rou ...
. In 1867 he authorized the founding of the Congregation of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God which Mother Magdalen of the Sacred Heart led in
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. Bojanowski later decided to attempt an education for the priesthood once more in 1869 in
Gniezno Gniezno (; german: Gnesen; la, Gnesna) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. One of the Piast dynasty's chief cities, ...
; but his health continued to deteriorate to the point where he later died 7 August 1871 in Górka Duchowna without becoming
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
as a priest as he had wished for.


Religious orders

Bojanowski either founded or co-founded four separate religious congregations: * Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate * Sisters Servants of the Holy and Immaculate Virgin Mary * Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception * Sisters Servants of the Mother of God


Beatification

The beatification process opened in
Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...
some decades after his death and was closed at a solemn
Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
that Archbishop Antoni Baraniak led on 24 October 1960. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints granted their validation to this diocesan investigation on 8 March 1991 prior to receiving the
Positio In the Catholic Church, a ''positio'' (''Positio super Virtutibus'') is a document or collection of documents used in the process by which a person is declared Venerable, the second of the four steps on the path to canonization as a saint. Des ...
dossier for additional assessment later in 1996. Historians advising the C.C.S. confirmed their approval to the cause on 22 October 1996 as did the congress of theologians on 16 December 1997. The C.C.S. members also voiced their approval some months later on 21 April 1998.
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
declared Bojanowski as
Venerable The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism. Christianity Cathol ...
on 3 July 1998 after confirming his
heroic virtue Heroic virtue is a phrase coined by Augustine of Hippo to describe the virtue of early Christian martyrs and used by the Catholic Church. The Greek pagan term hero described a person with possibly superhuman abilities and great goodness, and "it ...
. Bojanowski was beatified following papal recognition of a miracle (a healing) attributed to his intercession. The investigation into the alleged miracle took place in the diocese of its origin prior to that investigation receiving the needed validation from the C.C.S. on 15 October 1993. Medical experts confirmed the miraculous nature of the healing on 4 June 1998 as did theologians months later on 9 October and the C.C.S. members later that 15 December. John Paul II granted final approval for the miracle less than a week later on 21 December. John Paul II beatified Bojanowski in
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
on 13 June 1999 during his apostolic visit to Poland. The pope - during the beatification itself - referred to Bojanowski as "A good man with a big heart who for love of God and neighbor was able to bring different sectors together, effectively rallying them around a common good" whose apostolate was "an exceptional example of generous and industrious work for man, the homeland and the church."


See also

*
Frances Margaret Taylor Frances Margaret Taylor, whose religious name was Mother Magdalen of the Sacred Heart (20 January 1832 – 9 June 1900) was an English nurse, editor and writer, nun, and Superior General and founder of the Roman Catholic religious congregation th ...
*
Marcelina Darowska Marcelina Darowska (16 January 1827 – 5 January 1911) was a Polish religious sister who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1996. She was inspired to co-found the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a congregatio ...
*
Poor Servants of the Mother of God The Poor Servants of the Mother of God are a religious congregation founded in 1869 by Mary Magdalen of the Sacred Heart, Frances Margaret Taylor. She was closely assisted by her friend and benefactor Lady Georgiana Fullerton, and following her deat ...
*
Chronological list of saints and blesseds in the 19th century A list of people, who died during the 19th century, who have received recognition as Blessed (through beatification) or Saint (through canonization) from the Catholic Church: See also *Christianity in the 19th century Characteristic of ...
*
List of people beatified by Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II beatified 1,344 people. The names listed below are from the Holy Seebr>websiteand are listed by year, then date. The locations given are the locations of the beatification ceremonies, and not necessarily the birthplaces or homela ...
* Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Tarnobrzeg *
Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Tarnobrzeg Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Tarnobrzeg ( pl, Kościół Matki Bożej Nieustającej Pomocy w Tarnobrzegu) is a church in Serbinów (Borough in Tarnobrzeg), Serbinów, Poland. The church consists of the upper, bottom church and building ...
*
Tarnobrzeg Tarnobrzeg is a city in south-eastern Poland (historic Lesser Poland), on the east bank of the river Vistula, with 49,419 inhabitants, as of 31 December 2009. Situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship (Polish: ''Województwo podkarpackie'') since ...


References


External links


Hagiography Circle

Catholic Online

Communio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bojanowski, Edmund 1814 births 1871 deaths 19th-century Polish people 19th-century venerated Christians Beatifications by Pope John Paul II Founders of Catholic religious communities People from Gostyń County Polish beatified people Polish folk music 19th-century Polish nobility Polish traditions University of Breslau alumni Venerated Catholics by Pope John Paul II