St. Raphael Kalinowski and the Carmelite Secular Order 1 The ...

St. Raphael Kalinowski and the Carmelite Secular Order 1
The Carmelite Secular Order came into being in the 14th century in Western Europe but did
not have any permanent institutions or legal norms at that time. The Carmelite Third or
Secular Order may be defined as a group of lay people who are dedicated to the Carmelite
spirit or charism of St. Teresa and who in an organized way, recite the Prayer of the Church
and take part in the Eucharist on a regular basis. They usually meet monthly in a given
location. All lay people belonging to the Carmelite Secular Order, formerly known as the
Third Order, belong to the Carmelite family , and to a lesser extent people who wear the
scapular as members of a Brown Scapular Confraternity of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel .
So also members of other Carmelite Confraternities, such as that of St. Joseph, the Infant
Jesus or contemporary mission groups, Secular Carmelite Institutes, the Carmelite
Missionaries , two groups of which were founded by Blessed Francis Palau. (A Community
of Palau Sisters came to work in our Sydney house , based in Varroville near Campbelltown
some years ago.) Others such as the `Elianum`, the Institute of Notre Dame de Vie, or
various Teresian groups also belong to the Carmelite family.
Increasing interest in the Carmelite Secular Order has resulted firstly from a rapidly growing
devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary based on the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel, and embracing a great number of contemporary Christians. For example the original
Carmelite Rule of Life , known as the Rule of St. Albert has been lived out for centuries
by the Carmelite family , including lay associates, throughout Europe . Many people in
addition , shared also in the Carmelite spirit, through a devout wearing of the Brown
Scapular as a sign of dedication to Our Lady. This fact also ensured a welcome for
Carmelites when they returned to a specific area, after decades of suppression in various
countries throughout Europe. When an English Catholic layman, Thomas Walmesley , wrote
to the public in 1863 asking them to support Hermann Cohen`s work in restoring the
Carmelite Friars to England, he had this to say; `I appeal to all who have any devotion to
Our Blessed Lady , but especially to those who wear her scapular, to assist her sons.`2
1 I am indebted to unpublished notes by Szczepan T. Praskiewicz for much of the information in this Appendix
3.
2 Letter of ThomasWalmesly in Carmelite Archives in Kensington , London.
1

It is true of course also that the Carmelite Order would have been known through the
presence of the sisters in England in the preceding centuries , but inevitably their hidden
contemplative life would have placed limits on how well the Order was known.
Secondly, interest springs from a former religious culture itself and the desire people
traditionally have had to identify with the spirit or charism of a particular Order: to that
extent the faithful wished to be closely connected with religious Orders which were - in their
opinion - the most certain way to salvation. People often wished to wear a symbol of the
particular Order such as a medal or scapular, and to follow the Orders' spiritual practices,
as well as to be buried in the habit of the Order . The latter was quite common in countries
like Ireland up to the recent past.
There was a widespread revival of this wish to find support and guidance for a life of prayer
on the part of many people towards the end of the nineteenth century. This development led
to a growth in the Carmelite Secular Order.
St. Raphael Kalinowski, was a restorer of Carmelite life in Poland for Friars and nuns as we
saw. He was also instrumental in renewing the Third or Secular Order of Carmel.He was
sensitive to the needs of the faithful and he devoted himself fully to them , spending a lot of
time celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and opening to them the treasures of Carmelite
spirituality . He could be said to have brought Carmelite spirituality closer to lay people in
many different ways - publishing various leaflets, books, giving talks, promoting the Brown
Scapular, writing letters to people in a number of surrounding countries, such as Russia,
Hungary and Romania.
The Secular Carmelite Order and the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular.
In 1902 Kalinowski established, a scapular Confraternity in Sulina, Romania, through his
friend Teresa Moruzi, a member of the Secular Order , and he tried to obtain for it
canonical recognition from the General of the Order by sending him the necessary
application forms . He encouraged Jesuits working in a place called Jassy 3 to propagate
devotion to the Scapular and also wrote to the Austrian Consul`s daughter Fanny Jelinek
4 in Sulina asking her to spread the scapular devotion.
3 The second most populous city in Romania, also known as Lassey and Lasi.It is an important cultural center.
4 Her father Franz Jelinek was Consul in Sulina at this time. I t not clear how Kalinowski knew them, perhaps
through the Moruzi family.
2

Catholic priests in Romania reported what a positive influence the scapular was in Christian
life. There were instances of conversions from Orthodox Christianity to Catholicism due to
the scapular. Raphael even made plans to establish the Secular Order of Carmel in
connection with a Carmelite house in the capital Bucharest.
He also eagerly propagated devotion to the scapular in Poland itself and tried to encourage
priests in the surrounding territories to join the scapular Confraternity. He wrote to a certain
Irena Balatowska : `Do try hard to establish Holy Scapular Confraternity in your parish and
become a promoter of devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
In his letters he insisted on how people should pray in relation to wearing the scapular, so
that wearing it didn’t tend to become routine or border on the superstitious. He translated
various spiritual books such as a guide for daily meditations on the Virgin Mary with the
intention of publishing them.
In his ministry in the various Churches he served , he transformed them into sanctuaries of
the Virgin Mary of the Scapular ; in Czerna itself which became a great pilgrimage center,
and in that of St. Joseph in Wadowice , a house he himself had founded. During his stay in
Czerna , group pilgrimages from the Prussian sector of Silesia came to seek spiritual
direction from him. Here they would buy Polish religious books available in the Priory.
Though the Carmelite Secular Order and the Scapular Confraternity are distinct they are
interrelated. Part of the ceremonial for induction into the secular Order ( as indeed for the
other two Orders) is the conferring of the scapular. From the point of view of the Church`s
formal worship a scapular, in connection with whatever Order, is called a sacramental, just
like holy water or a religious medal. It is called a `sacramental` because though it is related to
the church`s sacraments, it is not part of the seven.A sacramental can prepare and lead up to a
fruitful participation in the life of the sacraments, and it can help people prolong this
fruitfulness by having a blessed object on one`s person or in the home. The value of the
sacramental does nor reside in the object itself but in the rite for blessing the object carried
out by an approved minister of the church. The rite for the blessing and enrolment in the a
particular scapular devotion was approved by a Decree from the Congregation for Divine
Worship on 27 January 1989 and signed by Cardinal Martinez. Formal membership of a
Confraternity of the Brown Scapular is not required in order for a person to be enrolled. In
the enrolment ceremony the cloth scapular is always used but subsequently a medal can be
substituted for this , especially in warmer countries and according to individual preferences.
3

Kalinowski`s specific work for Carmelite Secular Order.
Raphael Kalinowski was the founder of Carmelite Third or Secular Order in Czerna and
Wadowice and even before that , immediately after ordination, he was also appointed by
the provincial as Director of the existing Secular Order , set up and led by Princess
Marcelina at the Discalced Carmelite Convent in Lobozowa, Kracow. Secular Order
meetings took place in Carmelite chapel on the first Friday of each month. Raphael took part
in those meetings, directing and preaching conferences and hearing confessions. 5
Secular Carmelite members certainly were very devoted to Kalinowski as their Director.
They went to him for the Sacrament of Reconciliation , he carried out the usual ceremonies
for them , gave them inspiring talks and received what are now called their Promises. Like a
good Father he tried to give them spiritual consolation such as arranging a meeting with Fr.
Gotti, General of the Order . John Baptist Bouchaud OCD described in a biography of
Kalinowski how he encouraged the members in Krakow to engage in charitable activities
such as helping poor people, etc.
The Secular Order as we saw had been in existence in Poland before Kalinowski's time but
it was he who gave it a new impetus and established new communities. In this place I will
briefly analyse historical facts related to our Secular Order in Poland and its relationship
with St. Rafael. 1864 is thought to be the year Princess Marcelina established the Secular
Order on her return from Paris, at the Carmelite Convent in Wesola , situated at 24
Copernicus St, Krakow.
On December 8 th ,1873, the Third or Secular order was established in Poznan at the Discalced
Carmelite Convent by a Belgian Discalced Carmelite Andrew of St. Romuald (Karol
Gatzweiler), an esteemed confessor, who on that day received the first person into the
Secular Order . This was a certain Fr. Wladyslaw Meszczynski, secretary to the Cardinal and
a Papal Chamberlain of Pope Pius 1X . When the Discalced Carmelite nuns left Poznan in
5 When he sought advice from Fr. Jerome Gotti , General of the Order, (later made a Cardinal) during his
visitation in Poland, on how to run the Secular Order community, he received this reply: ` As far as teaching the
community members is concerned, I would advise you to make it as simple as possible. If The Secular Order has
its own chapel, it would be different , but since you gather in the nuns' chapel, I would like the teachings to be
edifying but simple. Don’t introduce any changes in the community's usual agenda. In my opinion it would be
too much to expose the Blessed Sacrament . Instead , you could put out the relic of the Virgin Mary after
giving your teaching , then decide on a virtue for the month, recite the rosary and litany of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Then bless the group with the relic and allow them to venerate it.`
4

1875 and moved to Krakow, they took also with them the books of the Secular Order. In
years 1875 - 1910, forty six people were admitted to this community. Many people from
aristocratic families and members of the clergy belonged to it, among them clergy from
Poznan, eg Bishop Chrysostom Janiszewski, and many from the ranks of the ordinary clergy.
Furthermore there was the aristocratic leader herself whom we have met before - Princess
Marcelina Radziwill Czartoryska who took the name ` Maria of the Heart of Jesus (1817 -
1894) . She was not alone however , there was also numerous others from noble families ,
eg, Countess Stefania Bninska ,probably the wife of the Count who shared Kalinowski`s
exile and Petronela Dybowska, perhaps related to the scientist Dybowski .
Marcelina encouraged other people from noble families to join the Secular Carmel in
Krakow. But she paid no attention to their titles but only to their good qualities. She received
Anna Szpakowska who was one of the poor people in the area, whose only qualification
was love of the sick , and it was she who brought great renown to the Carmelite Secular
Order in Krakow.
Marcelina Czartoryska organised regular meetings in Carmelite sisters` chapel in Lobozow.
And she was responsible for admitting new members. Talks to the community were
conducted by priests who had joined the community .Marcelina did a tremendous amount of
good for Carmel in Poland especially for the nuns or members of the First Order as they are
called . She helped in the renewal of the Carmelite family in Czerna also. She even went
to Rome about this matter and sought the support of the superiors of the Order. Mother
Xavier wrote about her: `Only God knows how much she did for the renewal in Czerna.`
Furthermore we know that Princess Marcelina hosted the dinner after Kalinowski' s
ordination in Czerna. Her house was open to everyone but she lived modestly herself and
helped the sick in St. Luke`s Hospital. She contributed to the Conference of St. Vincent de
Paul to assist their work , as also that of the Sisters of Mercy in Kazimierz in Krakow who
visited the poor in their homes. She herself was a self-effacing person. She was in charge of
the Secular Order in Krakow for almost twenty years until her death. When she died on June
5, 1894 Raphael Kalinowski simply referred to her as `a great benefactor`.
The most rapid development in the story of the Secular Order took place only after the
renewal of the Priory in Czerna, near Wadowice .There followed on this the renewal of the
5

Carmelite friars in other parts of Poland especially at the instigation of the General of the
Order Fr.Jerome Maria Gotti, probably during his visitation in 1885.
Kalinowski was the real restorer of the Carmel in Czerna. He became at that point spiritual
director of the Secular Order in there . The Register for the Secular Order in Czerna was begun
in 1891. The first Register had begun with the group which, as we saw, was set up in Krakow
at the convent of the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Lobozowska. The community was made
up of members who came from neighboring towns (Krzeszowice, Nowa Gora,
Paczoltowice) and later also from the Kingdom of Poland and Silesia. The first name on the
Register in Czerna was Teresa Moruzi, Kalinowski`s friend. The first one to make her
commitment to the Secular Order in Czerna was Antonina Podolecka from Krzeszowice –
which she did on December 9 th , 1894, taking the name `Teresa of Jesus.`
In 1892 the number of the Secular Order members in Czerna amounted to fifteen people.
Duchess Teresa Moruzi (from Sulina in Romania), Rafael Kalinowski's directee whom we
have met previously, and whose husband Dyrnitr was related to the Serbian Queen, was
admitted that year. Though she lived in Romania she officially belonged to the Krakow
community.
By 1911 as many as 972 people joined the Third or Secular Order, but unfortunately the
number of people making Promises was much lower.
When Kalinowski moved to Wadowice in 1893, he set up the Third or Secular Carmelite
Order community there. He personally received the first candidates.
On January 25 th , 1903 during a conference in Wadowice Raphael quoted St. Teresa of Jesus
from the first Polish edition of her `Life`, Written by herself.` He spoke about a good death,
about the need for purification and of getting rid of one`s faults . He also recommended the
custom of choosing a monthly patron saint and writing down the name as well as practising
the virtue associated with the saint. During a conference on February 22 nd , 1903 he spoke
about faith, about good works and about prayer as a necessary means for tackling wrong
tendencies. One month later on March 29 th he gave a talk on `The church is our home `.
This was on the occasion of 25 th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII`s pontificate. 6
6 Op. Cit . St.Raphael Kalinowski . Szczepan T Praskiewitz,ICS, 111 Selections from the Saint`s works.
6

Kalinowski would describe the essence of membership of the Carmelite Secular Order in
three words: ` Work, prayer and suffering.` Elaborating on this he meant that one should
draw blessings from work, one should pray in a peaceful way, and willingly suffer .To
benefit from these we must preserve a pure heart and only Jesus Christ can purify our hearts
and keep them clean form sin. In addition it is the duty of a Secular Order member to
practising virtue, beginning by striving against the opposite imperfections .This is the
`agere contra` of traditional asceticism. He would also insist on faith in Christ's Eucharistic
presence , on loyalty to the Church and to Holy Father as a basis a dedicated life .
Discalced Carmelites from Lobozow wrote about St. Rafael's work for the Third or Secular
Carmel: `Fr. Raphael never spoke at length but what he said was full of sense and
communicated in a dignified way, and (according to what their comments) he urged people
to concentrate on their inner lives. `
Raphael Kalinowski did not stint his penitents of his time and but dedicated many hours
to them , inculcating in them a genuine spiritual life . The experience of making a general
confession to him was often the beginning of a new growth stage in their lives. For example
He treated the Duchess Teresa Moruzi, who suffered from scruples, kindly but firmly. He
didn’t allow people to trawl over past confessions but encouraged obedience and trust to
regular confessor .
Works of Mercy.
Not only Kalinowski look after peoples` spiritual needs but he also saw to their moral and
material ones as well. In Wadowice he organised financial resources for the young women
who worked in local night clubs and who were often driven to prostitution by poverty and
need. In some cases he made arrangements for some of them to be cared fby the Institute of
the Mercy Sisters who had a house for that purpose in a place called Lagiewniki, near
Krakow. This is the site of the famous and imposing new Basilica of Divine Mercy, promoted
by Pope John Paul who canonized St Faustina , a member of this congregation, some years
later .
On his initiative too a Conference the St. Vincent de Paul society was set up and wealthy
women from the town engaged in much charitable activity from here.
Princess Marcelina Radziwill Czartoryska, who figures so largely in Kalinowski`s life , lived
in Wola Justowska not far from Krakow, and she was the leader of the Secular Order group
7

there until her death. She assisted Kalinowski and his colleagues in the Discalced
Carmelites. It was she who went with him to Przemysl and helped in setting the new
foundation of Carmelite sisters when they moved from Krakow .
Kalinowski`s piety and devotion were noted by all and his influence over the friars, nuns,
members of the Carmelite Family and on local priests was profound.
In 1898 a new Third or Secular Order community was set up at the church of the Assumption
Virgin Mary in Chorzow. More than ten years later Silesian communities of the Secular
Carmel developed extremely quickly and their number reached a dozen or so, bringing
together about a thousand members . They used come on pilgrimage to Czerna and renewed
their faith at the shrine of the Virgin Mary and at the grave of St. Raphael. They also liked
to collect water from the stream running by .
Later on the Secular Order was guided by Carmelite friars who had been friends and pupils of
Raphael Kalinowski .The two most prominent of these were John Baptist Bouchaud and the
martyr Blessed Alphonsus Maria (Joseph Mazurek.) He was murdered by the Nazis in 1944
.John Baptist wrote a biography of Princess Marcelina among other numerous publications.
The heroic life of Alphonsus Mazurek and that of others must owe something to the
inspiring example of Raphael Kalinowski.
In the post-Vatican 11 Church which emphasized the call to holiness of the laity, Raphael
Kalinowski`s work for Secular Order Carmelites ought to be emphasized. This is even more
important when we review the statistics of the Carmelite Family, only three and a half
thousand friars , up to13,000 nuns but over 27,000 members of the Secular Order worldwide.
Summary .
The literature often emphasises St. Raphael' s work for the communities in Czerna and
Wadowice, and for the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Cracow, Przemysl, and Lwow , but his
pastoral and structural effort towards the laity and especially the Secular Carmel is seldom
mentioned. The members of the Secular Order share in the ideal of the Order, its charism, grace
and fruitfulness. They participate really and fully in the Carmelite spirit , though their way
of life is very far removed from that of the friars and nuns. They are called to respond fully
to the call to holiness issued by Vatican 11. This call then is an invaluable gift for today`s
world. Carmelite spirituality has inspired the laity to take Promises as members of the
Carmelite family, but at the same time of they continue to live in the world according to
8

their state of life. Fidelity to their rule of life can give them the strength to work for the
good of their families, to do their work more efficiently and to influence their environment
and workplace in a positive way . The Carmelite spirit can also promote a patient and
resigned approach to the inevitable onset of retirement and old age.
Raphael Kalinowski initiated this Carmelite Secular Order commitment , not only by his
teaching but also by the witness of his life . In his homily during the canonization Mass,
Pope John Paul 11 made this observation: ` He was a highly valued confessor and spiritual
leader. He taught people how to love God, Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Church and one`s
neighbor. He spent many hours immersed in this hidden apostolic activity.`
As a pioneer of the lay apostolate Kalinowski instructed Secular Carmelites in the ways of
the `New Evangelisation` by the witness of his own life .
A Pastoral Letter from the Polish bishops before Kalinowski`s canonization in 1991 puts it
well : `The Church in making him a Saint, affirms that his mission to people has not yet
finished but is in fact growing even stronger.` The same was said by Therese of Lisieux by
herself and about her .
Numerous pilgrimages to Czerna bear this out ,as people go there asking his intercession .A
Retreat House with a full annual program is in place there as well as regular days of
recollection. Young people from the Archdiocese of Katowice find a restful oasis there.
There is a daily liturgy in St. Raphael's chapel. Many people discover their vocation here
as they pray at Raphael's grave. The sanctuary at Czerna is regularly visited by people from
Siberia as might be expected.
Various groups and members of different organisations including Senators, Members of
Parliament visit on January 22 nd which is the anniversary of the January Uprising of 1863 in
which the young Joseph Kalinowski took part. Not surprisingly he is seen as a `patron of
difficult times, one who unites Europe `, in the words of Pope John Paul II. He is the first
saint of the 3rd Republic of Poland, inaugurated by the revolutions of 1989 with the
Solidarity candidate, ex-shipyard worker from Gdansk , Lech Walesa, becoming its first
President.
Kalinowski is a patron of many and varied groups: soldiers, prisoners, convicts, emigrants,
Sibiracs, railwaymen, tutors, superiors, friars and priests.
9

He played a significant part in the renewal of the church in Poland. And lastly of course he is
the patron and founder of the Polish Secular Order of Carmel and of all those who look to
the Carmelites to fulfil their pastoral needs.
Fr. Tadgh Tierney ocd, Morley.
10

Raphael Kalinowski and the Carmelite Secular Order 7
The Carmelite Secular Order came into being in the 14th century in Western Europe but did
not have any permanent institutions or legal norms at that time. The Carmelite Third or
Secular Order may be defined as a group of lay people who are dedicated to the Carmelite
spirit or charism of St. Teresa and who in an organized way, recite the Prayer of the Church
and take part in the Eucharist on a regular basis. They usually meet monthly in a given
location. All lay people belonging to the Carmelite Secular Order, formerly known as the
Third Order, belong to the Carmelite family , and to a lesser extent people who wear the
scapular as members of a Brown Scapular Confraternity of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel .
So also members of other Carmelite Confraternities, such as that of St. Joseph, the Infant
Jesus or contemporary mission groups, Secular Carmelite Institutes, the Carmelite
Missionary Sisters , two groups of which were founded by Blessed Palau. Others such as the
`Elianum`, the Institute of Notre Dame de Vie, or various Teresian groups also belong to the
Carmelite family.
Increasing interest in the Carmelite Secular Order has resulted firstly from a rapidly growing
devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary based on the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel, and embracing a great number of contemporary Christians. For example the original
Carmelite Rule of Life , known as the Rule of St. Albert has been lived out for centuries
by the Carmelite family , including lay associates, throughout Europe . Many people in
addition , shared also in the Carmelite spirit, through a devout wearing of the Brown
Scapular as a sign of dedication to Our Lady. This fact also ensured a welcome for
Carmelites when they returned to a specific area, after decades of suppression in various
countries throughout Europe. When an English Catholic layman, Thomas Walmesley , wrote
to the public in 1863 asking them to support Hermann Cohen`s work in restoring the
7 I am indebted to unpublished notes by Szezepan T. Praskiewicz ocd for much of the information in this
Appendix 3.
11

Carmelite Friars to England, he had this to say; `I appeal to all who have any devotion to
Our Blessed Lady , but especially to those who wear her scapular, to assist her sons.`8
It is true of course also that the Carmelite Order would have been known through the
presence of the sisters in England in the preceding centuries , but inevitably their hidden
contemplative life would have placed limits on how well the Order was known.
Secondly, interest springs from a former religious culture itself and the desire people
traditionally have had to identify with the spirit or charism of a particular Order: to that
extent the faithful wished to be closely connected with religious Orders which were - in their
opinion - the most certain way to salvation. People often wished to wear a symbol of the
particular Order such as a medal or scapular, and to follow the Orders' spiritual practices,
as well as to be buried in the habit of the Order . The latter was quite common in countries
like Ireland up to the recent past.
There was a widespread revival of this wish to find support and guidance for a life of prayer
on the part of many people towards the end of the nineteenth century. This development led
to a growth in the Carmelite Secular Order.
St. Raphael Kalinowski, was a restorer of Carmelite life in Poland for Friars and nuns as we
saw. He was also instrumental in renewing the Third or Secular Order of Carmel.He was
sensitive to the needs of the faithful and he devoted himself fully to them , spending a lot of
time celebrating the Sacrament of Penance and opening to them the treasures of Carmelite
spirituality . He could be said to have brought Carmelite spirituality closer to lay people in
many different ways - publishing various leaflets, books, giving talks, promoting the Brown
Scapular, writing letters to people in a number of surrounding countries, such as Russia,
Hungary and Romania.
The Secular Carmelite Order and the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular.
In 1902 Kalinowski established, a scapular Confraternity in Sulina, Romania, through his
friend Teresa Moruzi, a member of the Secular Order , and he tried to obtain for it
canonical recognition from the General of the Order by sending him the necessary
application forms . He encouraged Jesuits working in a place called Jassy 9 to propagate
8 Letter of Thomas Walmesly in Carmelite Archives in Kensington , London.
9 The second most populous city in Romania, also known as Lassey and Lasi.It is an important cultural center.
12

devotion to the Scapular and also wrote to the Austrian Consul`s daughter Fanny Jelinek
10 in Sulina asking her to spread the scapular devotion.
Catholic priests in Romania reported what a positive influence the scapular was in Christian
life. There were instances of conversions from Orthodox Christianity to Catholicism due to
the scapular. Raphael even made plans to establish the Secular Order of Carmel in
connection with a Carmelite house in the capital Bucharest.
He also eagerly propagated devotion to the scapular in Poland itself and tried to encourage
priests in the surrounding territories to join the scapular Confraternity. He wrote to a certain
Irena Balatowska : `Do try hard to establish Holy Scapular Confraternity in your parish and
become a promoter of devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
In his letters he insisted on how people should pray in relation to wearing the scapular, so
that wearing it didn’t tend to become routine or border on the superstitious. He translated
various spiritual books such as a guide for daily meditations on the Virgin Mary with the
intention of publishing them.
In his ministry in the various Churches he served , he transformed them into sanctuaries of
the Virgin Mary of the Scapular ; in Czerna itself which became a great pilgrimage center,
and in that of St. Joseph in Wadowice , a house he himself had founded. During his stay in
Czerna , group pilgrimages from the Prussian sector of Silesia came to seek spiritual
direction from him. Here they would buy Polish religious books available in the Priory.
Though the Carmelite Secular Order and the Scapular Confraternity are distinct they are
interrelated. Part of the ceremonial for induction into the secular Order ( as indeed for the
other two Orders) is the conferring of the scapular. From the point of view of the Church`s
formal worship a scapular, in connection with whatever Order, is called a sacramental, just
like holy water or a religious medal. It is called a `sacramental` because though it is related to
the church`s sacraments, it is not part of the seven.A sacramental can prepare and lead up to a
fruitful participation in the life of the sacraments, and it can help people prolong this
fruitfulness by having a blessed object on one`s person or in the home. The value of the
sacramental does nor reside in the object itself but in the rite for blessing the object carried
out by an approved minister of the church. The rite for the blessing and enrolment in the a
10 Her father Franz Jelinek was Consul in Sulina at this tiem. I t not clear how Kalinowski knew them, perhaps
through the Moruzi family.
13

particular scapular devotion was approved by a Decree from the Congregation for Divine
Worship on 27 Jaunary 1989 and signed by Cardinal Martinez. Formal membership of a
Confraternity of the Brown Scapular is not required in order for a person to be enrolled. In
the enrolment ceremony the cloth scapular is always used but subsequently a medal can be
substituted for this , especially in warmer countries and according to individual preferences.
Kalinowski`s specific work for Carmelite Secular Order.
Raphael Kalinowski was the founder of Carmelite Third or Secular Order in Czerna and
Wadowice and even before that , immediately after ordination, he was also appointed by
the provincial as Director of the existing Secular Order , set up and led by Princess
Marcelina at the Discalced Carmelite Convent in Lobozowa, Kracow. Secular Order
meetings took place in Carmelite chapel on the first Friday of each month. Raphael took part
in those meetings, directing and preaching conferences and hearing confessions. 11
Secular Carmelite members certainly were very devoted to Kalinowski as their Director.
They went to him for the Sacrament of Reconciliation , he carried out the usual ceremonies
for them , gave them inspiring talks and received what are now called their Promises. Like a
good Father he tried to give them spiritual consolation such as arranging a meeting with Fr.
Gotti, General of the Order . John Baptist Bouchaud OCD described in a biography of
Kalinowski how he encouraged the members in Krakow to engage in charitable activities
such as helping poor people, etc.
The Secular Order as we saw had been in existence in Poland before Kalinowski's time but
it was he who gave it a new impetus and established new communities. In this place I will
briefly analyse historical facts related to our Secular Order in Poland and its relationship
with St. Rafael. 1864 is thought to be the year Princess Marcelina established the Secular
Order on her return from Paris, at the Carmelite Convent in Wesola , situated at 24
Copernicus St, Krakow.
11 When he sought advice from Fr. Jerome Gotti , General of the Order, during his visitation in Poland, on how
to run the Secular Order community, he received this reply: ` As far as teaching the community members is
concerned, I would advise you to make it as simple as possible. If The Secular Order has its own chapel, it
would be different , but since you gather in the nuns' chapel, I would like the teachings to be edifying but
simple. Don’t introduce any changes in the community's usual agenda. In my opinion it would be too much to
expose the Blessed Sacrament . Instead , you could put out the relic of the Virgin Mary after giving your
teaching , then decide on a virtue for the month, recite the rosary and litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Then
bless the group with the relic and allow them to venerate it.`
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On December 8 th ,1873, the Third or Secular order was established in Poznan at the Discalced
Carmelite Convent by a Belgian Discalced Carmelite Andrew of St. Romuald (Karol
Gatzweiler), an esteemed confessor, who on that day received the first person into the
Secular Order . This was a certain Fr. Wladyslaw Meszczynski, secretary to the Cardinal and
a Papal Chamberlain of Pope Pius 1X . When the Discalced Carmelite nuns left Poznan in
1875 and moved to Krakow, they took also with them the books of the Secular Order. In
years 1875 - 1910, forty six people were admitted to this community. Many people from
aristocratic families and members of the clergy belonged to it, among them clergy from
Poznan, eg Bishop Chrysostom Janiszewski, and many from the ranks of the ordinary clergy.
Furthermore there was the aristocratic leader herself whom we have met before - Princess
Marcelina Radziwill Czartoryska who took the name ` Maria of the Heart of Jesus (1817 -
1894) . She was not alone however , there was also numerous others from noble families ,
eg, Countess Stefania Bninska ,probably the wife of the Count who shared Kalinowski`s
exile and Petronela Dybowska, perhaps related to the scientist Dybowski .
Marcelina encouraged other people from noble families to join the Secular Carmel in
Krakow. But she paid no attention to their titles but only to their good qualities. She received
Anna Szpakowska who was one of the poor people in the area, whose only qualification
was love of the sick , and it was she who brought great renown to the Carmelite Secular
Order in Krakow.
Marcelina Czartoryska organised regular meetings in Carmelite sisters` chapel in Lobozow.
And she was responsible for admitting new members. Talks to the community were
conducted by priests who had joined the community .Marcelina did a tremendous amount of
good for Carmel in Poland especially for the nuns or members of the First Order as they are
called . She helped in the renewal of the Carmelite family in Czerna also. She even went
to Rome about this matter and sought the support of the superiors of the Order. Mother
Xavier wrote about her: `Only God knows how much she did for the renewal in Czerna.`
Furthermore we know that Princess Marcelina hosted the dinner after Kalinowski' s
ordination in Czerna. Her house was open to everyone but she lived modestly herself and
helped the sick in St. Luke`s Hospital. She contributed to the Conference of St. Vincent de
Paul to assist their work , as also that of the Sisters of Mercy in Kazimierz in Krakow who
visited the poor in their homes. She herself was a self-effacing person. She was in charge of
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the Secular Order in Krakow for almost twenty years until her death. When she died on June
5, 1894 Raphael Kalinowski simply referred to her as `a great benefactor`.
The most rapid development in the story of the Secular Order took place only after the
renewal of the Priory in Czerna .There followed on this the renewal of the Carmelite friars
in other parts of Poland especially at the instigation of the General of the Order Fr.Jerome
Maria Gotti, probably during his visitation in 1885.
Kalinowski was the real restorer of the Carmel in Czerna. He became at that point spiritual
director of the Secular Order in there . The Register for the Secular Order in Czerna was begun
in 1891. The first Register had begun with the group which, as we saw, was set up in Krakow
at the convent of the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Lobozowska. The community was made
up of members who came from neighboring towns (Krzeszowice, Nowa Gora,
Paczoltowice) and later also from the Kingdom of Poland and Silesia. The first name on the
Register in Czerna was Teresa Moruzi, Kalinowski`s friend. The first one to make her
commitment to the Secular Order in Czerna was Antonina Podolecka from Krzeszowice –
which she did on December 9 th , 1894, taking the name `Teresa of Jesus.`
In 1892 the number of the Secular Order members in Czerna amounted to fifteen people.
Duchess Teresa Moruzi (from Sulina in Romania), Rafael Kalinowski's directee whom we
have met previously, and whose husband Dyrnitr was related to the Serbian Queen, was
admitted that year. Though she lived in Romania she officially belonged to the Krakow
community.
By 1911 as many as 972 people joined the Third or Secular Order, but unfortunately the
number of people making Promises was much lower.
When Kalinowski moved to Wadowice in 1893, he set up the Third or Secular Carmelite
Order community there. He personally received the first candidates.
On January 25 th , 1903 during a conference in Wadowice Raphael quoted St. Teresa of Jesus
from the first Polish edition of her `Life`, Written by herself.` He spoke about a good death,
about the need for purification and of getting rid of one`s faults . He also recommended the
custom of choosing a monthly patron saint and writing down the name as well as practising
the virtue associated with the saint. During a conference on February 22 nd , 1903 he spoke
about faith, about good works and about prayer as a necessary means for tackling wrong
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tendencies. One month later on March 29 th he gave a talk on `The church is our home `.
This was on the occasion of 25 th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII`s pontificate. 12
Kalinowski would describe the essence of membership of the Carmelite Secular Order in
three words: ` Work, prayer and suffering.` Elaborating on this he meant that one should
draw blessings from work, one should pray in a peaceful way, and willingly suffer .To
benefit from these we must preserve a pure heart and only Jesus Christ can purify our hearts
and keep them clean form sin. In addition it is the duty of a Secular Order member to
practising virtue, beginning by striving against the opposite imperfections .This is the
`agree contra` of traditional asceticism. He would also insist on faith in Christ's Eucharistic
presence , on loyalty to the Church and to Holy Father as a basis a dedicated life .
Discalced Carmelites from Lobozow wrote about St. Rafael's work for the Third or Secular
Carmel: `Fr. Raphael never spoke at length but what he said was full of sense and
communicated in a dignified way, and (according to what their comments) he urged people
to concentrate on their inner lives. `
Raphael Kalinowski did not stint his penitents of his time and but dedicated many hours
to them , inculcating in them a genuine spiritual life . The experience of making a general
confession to him was often the beginning of a new growth stage in their lives. For example
He treated the Duchess Teresa Moruzi, who suffered from scruples, kindly but firmly. He
didn’t allow people to trawl over past confessions but encouraged obedience and trust to
regular confessor .
Works of Mercy.
Not only Kalinowski look after peoples` spiritual needs but he also saw to their moral and
material ones as well. In Wadowice he organised financial resources for the young women
who worked in local night clubs and who were often driven to prostitution by poverty and
need. In some cases he made arrangements for some of them to be cared fby the Institute of
the Mercy Sisters who had a house for that purpose in a place called Lagiewniki, near
Krakow. This is the site of the famous and imposing new Basilica of Divine Mercy, promoted
by Pope John Paul who canonized St Faustina , a member of this congregation, some years
later .
12 Op. Cit . St.Raphael Kalinowski . Szezepan T Praskiewitz,ICS, 111 Selections from the Saint`s works.
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On his initiative too a Conference the St. Vincent de Paul society was set up and wealthy
women from the town engaged in much charitable activity from here.
Princess Marcelina Radziwill Czartoryska, who figures so largely in Kalinowski`s life , lived
in Wola Justowska not far from Krakow, and she was the leader of the Secular Order group
there until her death. She assisted Kalinowski and his colleagues in the Discalced
Carmelites. It was she who went with him to Przemysl and helped in setting the new
foundation of Carmelite sisters when they moved from Krakow .
Kalinowski`s piety and devotion were noted by all and his influence over the friars, nuns,
members of the Carmelite Family and on local priests was profound.
In 1898 a new Third or Secular Order community was set up at the church of the Assumption
Virgin Mary in Chorzow. More than ten years later Silesian communities of the Secular
Carmel developed extremely quickly and their number reached a dozen or so, bringing
together about a thousand members . They used come on pilgrimage to Czerna and renewed
their faith at the shrine of the Virgin Mary and at the grave of St. Raphael. They also like to
collect water from the stream running by .
Later on the Secular Order was guided by Carmelite friars who had been friends and pupils of
Raphael Kalinowski .The two most prominent of these were John Baptist Bouchaud and the
martyr Alphonsus Maria (Joseph Mazurek.) He was murdered by the Nazis in 1944 .John
Baptist wrote a biography of Princess Marcelina among other numerous publications. His
heroic life and that of others must owe something to the inspiring example of Raphael
Kalinowski.
In the post-Vatican 11 Church which emphasized the call to holiness of the laity, Raphael
Kalinowski`s work for Secular Order Carmelites ought to be emphasized. This is even more
important when we review the statistics of the Carmelite Family, only three and a half
thousand friars , up to13,000 nuns but over 27,000 members of the Secular Order worldwide.
Summary .
The literature often emphasises St. Raphael' s work for the communities in Czerna and
Wadowice, and for the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Cracow, Przemysl, and Lwow , but his
pastoral and structural effort towards the laity and especially the Secular Carmel is seldom
mentioned. The members of the Secular Order share in the ideal of the Order, its charism, grace
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and fruitfulness. They participate really and fully in the Carmelite spirit , though their way
of life is very far removed from that of the friars and nuns. They are called to respond fully
to the call to holiness issued by Vatican 11. This call then is an invaluable gift for today`s
world. Carmelite spirituality has inspired the laity to take Promises as members of the
Carmelite family, but at the same time of they continue to live in the world according to
their state of life. Fidelity to their rule of life can give them the strength to work for the
good of their families, to do their work more efficiently and to influence their environment
and workplace in a positive way . The Carmelite spirit can also promote a patient and
resigned approach to the inevitable onset of retirement and old age.
Raphael Kalinowski initiated this Carmelite Secular Order commitment , not only by his
teaching but also by the witness of his life . In his homily during the canonization Mass,
Pope John Paul 11 made this observation: ` He was a highly valued confessor and spiritual
leader. He taught people how to love God, Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Church and one`s
neighbor. He spent many hours immersed in this hidden apostolic activity.`
As a pioneer of the lay apostolate Kalinowski instructed Secular Carmelites in the ways of
the `New Evangelisation` by the witness of his own life .
A Pastoral Letter from the Polish bishops before Kalinowski`s canonization in 1991 puts it
well : `The Church in making him a Saint, affirms that his mission to people has not yet
finished but is in fact growing even stronger.` The same was said by Therese of Lisieux by
herself and about her .
Numerous pilgrimages to Czerna bear this out ,as people go there asking his intercession .A
Retreat House with a full annual program is in place there as well as regular days of
recollection. Young people from the Archdiocese of Katowice find a restful oasis there.
There is a daily liturgy in St. Raphael's chapel. Many people discover their vocation here
as they pray at Raphael's grave. The sanctuary at Czerna is regularly visited by people from
Siberia as might be expected.
Various groups and members of different organisations including Senators, Members of
Parliament visit on January 22 nd which is the anniversary of the January Uprising of 1863 in
which the young Joseph Kalinowski took part. Not surprisingly he is seen as a `patron of
difficult times, one who unites Europe `, in the words of Pope John Paul II. He is the first
saint of the 3rd Republic of Poland, inaugurated by the revolutions of 1989 with the
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Solidarity candidate, ex-shipyard worker from Gdansk , Lech Walesa, becoming its first
President.
Kalinowski is a patron of many and varied groups: soldiers, prisoners, convicts, emigrants,
Sibiracs, railwaymen, tutors, superiors, friars and priests.
He played a significant part in the renewal of the church in Poland. And lastly of course he is
the patron and founder of the Polish Secular Order of Carmel and of all those who look to
the Carmelites to fulfil their pastoral needs.
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