Harmonijne doskonalenie człowieka – ideał wychowania propagowany przez bł. Marcelinę Darowską

Abstract

The model of upbringing favoured by Blessed Marcelina Darowska comprised a schema with three basic themes: the Christian woman and Christian holidays, wifehood and motherhood, and the woman as citizen and patriot. At the centre of the model are examples based on Christ, His Mother, the saints, and a demonstration of their attractiveness to those being raised. Love is given special emphasis – it forms the foundation of model and enlivens the very act of raising the young person. Sacrificial deeds – especially acts of selflessness in service to others and the Fatherland – also have their place. The burden of upbringing aims to help the individual to attain personal happiness (temporal and eternal) as well as collective happiness (earning entry into the Heavenly Kingdom). In the areas of wifehood and motherhood, the highest emphasis was placed on service in love with complete sincerity, self-sacrifice and the grace proper to women. Darowska showed the “citizen and patriot” ideal as necessitating active involvement in social work with an emphasis on the nobility of honest, hard work. She placed great importance on youth discovering and nurturing qualities such as: sacrificial love, respect for the Fatherland, familiarizing oneself with one’s culture, and undertakings seeking to ensure national unity and harmony. The unifying forces bringing all these qualities together, according to Marcelina, are love and the Catholic faith.