Bernard Łubieński

After his ordination, Father Bernard Łubieński exercised his ministry in England for eleven years. He worked actively as a missionary and pastor, devoting himself particularly to English Catholics and the numerous Polish emigrants. He also assisted the provincial superior as secretary. However, his greatest desire was to re-establish the Congregation of the Redemptorists in Poland, from where they had been expelled at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1883, with the agreement of his superiors and the financial and logistical support of his family, he returned to his homeland. He participated actively in the founding of the first Redemptorist monastery in Mościska in 1883, which became the cradle of the order's renaissance in the region. Subsequently, he contributed to the establishment of new communities in Tuchów (1893), Kraków (1903), and Warsaw (1906). In 1885, Father Bernard was struck by a serious illness (a severe flu followed by complete paralysis of the legs) which left him heavily disabled for the rest of his life. Far from curbing his apostolic zeal, this infirmity became the channel for extraordinary spiritual fruitfulness. Nicknamed the "Apostle of Poland," he traveled the country in a wheelchair or supported by his confreres, preaching more than 1,000 popular missions and spiritual retreats. His audience was extremely varied, ranging from humble workers and peasants to members of the high aristocracy and the clergy. He also preached beyond Polish borders, notably in Germany, Ukraine, Russia, and Finland. He was also actively committed to unity between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

The life of Father Bernard Łubieński is marked by an intimate union with God in the midst of continual physical suffering. His heroic pastoral dedication, despite his paralysis, deeply edified his contemporaries. He was also a prolific writer, publishing numerous books and articles on spirituality. Exhausted by his apostolic labors and his infirmities, he passed away peacefully in the odor of sanctity on September 10, 1933, in Warsaw, at the age of 86. His funeral bore witness to the immense veneration in which he was held by the Polish people. His remains rest today in the Church of Saint Clement Hofbauer in Warsaw, where many faithful come to seek his intercession.

As the reputation for holiness of Father Bernard Łubieński continued to grow after his death, the cause for beatification and canonization was officially opened in Warsaw on June 2, 1961. The diocesan inquiry concluded on November 24, 1965, and the file was transmitted to Rome for examination by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. In 1982, his mortal remains were transferred to the Redemptorist church in Warsaw to facilitate the devotion of the faithful. On March 6, 2018, Pope Francis authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues. From that moment, Father Bernard Łubieński was officially declared Venerable. For his beatification to be pronounced, the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession is required. To this end, prayer groups meet regularly, notably on the 10th of each month (in memory of the day of his passing to God), to ask for this grace.

The spirituality of the Venerable Bernard Łubieński is deeply rooted in the Redemptorist charism founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori: the proclamation of abundant Redemption (Copiosa apud Eum redemptio) to the most abandoned. His apostolate is characterized by absolute trust in Providence and an extraordinary filial devotion to the Virgin Mary. He is historically recognized as one of the principal propagators of the cult of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Poland, introducing and disseminating her holy icon in numerous parishes and shrines throughout the country. His legacy remains alive through the Polish Province of the Redemptorists, which he helped to refound and which has produced numerous vocations and missions throughout the world. His figure as a "disabled missionary" remains a model of courage, showing that physical weakness, when united to the Cross of Christ, can become a source of incomparable spiritual strength and evangelization.