Metody formacji ascetycznej w Częstochowskim Seminarium Duchownym w Krakowie w latach 1926-1976

Abstract

The article has presented the character of the essential methods of work of the Spiritual Fathers during the fifty years of existence of the Częstochowa Seminar. The whole problem has been treated as following under the headlines: The role and the duties of Spiritual Fathers in the Seminar; the spiritual formation of the clerics in the first years of existence of the Seminar; the Spiritual Fathers of the Częstochowa Seminar in Kraków. In the introductory part, treating of the, role and the duties of the Spiritual Fathers on the basis of the decrees of the Second Vatican Council, there have been described the legal and the moral aspect of the work of the Spiritual Fathers in the Seminar and the scope of that work. The methods of the ascetic formation in the years 1926-1930 were described in the further part of the article. This period was the first stage of existence and organization of the Seminar. It did not have a Spiritual Father then, and the whole burden of the formation of the clerics rested upon the Rector and the Confessors retreat masters and preachers chosen by him. On October 9, 1930 Bishop Dr Teodor Kubina, the Ordinary of the Diocese, named Fr Wendelin Świerczek, a priest of the Congregation of Lazarist Missionaries, the first Spiritual Father. The newly organized Diocese suffered from a great lack of priests for the pastoral work in the Częstochowa area, so was glad to profit by the service of a well prepared religious. During the fifty years of its existence our Seminar had nine Spiritual Fathers; here are their names and period of work: Fr Wendelin Świerczek, 9.10.1930-24.2.1936 Fr Jan Domarańczyk, 31.3.1936-15.2.1946 Fr Mieczysław Paciej, 8.6.1946-1.10.1947 Fr Dr Walenty Patykiewicz,1.10.1947-1.9.1950 Fr Mgr Stanisław Okamfer, 9.9.1950-12.6.1956 Fr Dr Stefan Bareła, 30.6.1956-9.12.1960 Fr Lic. Zygmunt Król, 28.12.1960-15.7.1963 Fr Dr Jan Kowalski, 27.6.1962-15.7.1963 Fr. Lic. Henryk Bąbiński, since July 15, 1963 the Spiritual Father of the Częstochowa Seminar in Kraków. The article describes the character of the methods and the scope of work of each of the Spiritual Fathers. Footnotes give the fundamental biographical data.