L E T T E R S

XIHere the first works of Fr. Semenenko were published, as well as a monographon Saints Cyril and Methodius written by L. Rettel.Janski also developed the idea of organizing a studio of contemporary religiousart which would be able to communicate with modern man. He invited menlike J. Maliński, I. Klukowski, Lungo Pratoo and Fr. Siennicki to cooperate inthis effort.Under Janski’s direction, the physician H. Terlecki and a group of ExternalBrethren who were nurses were to be involved in a wide-ranging activity ofhelp to the poor and infirm in a spirit of Christian charity.The colossal plan of Janski for the re-christianization of contemporary pagansociety and culture came to the fore in each of his projects. It was thefundamental goal of his new community which he called into being at thethreshold of a new era. For Janski belonged to the group of those who first sawthe approach of a new age which promised to be inimical to the Church. WithFr. Gerbet and Fr. Lacordaire, he dared to condemn the self-centeredaristocracy concerned only with a defense of past privileges as well as theadvance of materialism in the life of man, resulting in a more pagan spirit andlifestyle. Janski too was among the first to point out the threat to the Churchwhich was to be found in the social situation of the extremely wealthy, thenew-rich of industry and agriculture, who were replacing the aristocrats in thematerialistic way of life. He saw the contrast between these and the crowds ofworking class people who were trapped in their misery, working for unjustwages in the great factories and on large farms. These workers failed to findopenness and support from the Church, and lost all trust in the ideal teachingof the Church concerning love of neighbor and the justice of God. In a laterday they would fall away completely from the Church and into the snares ofthe new teachers (atheists and materialists) who preached the need for social