Blessed Marcelina Darowska

Biography

Blessed Marcelina Darowska, also known as Marcellina Mary of the Immaculate Conception, was born on January 28, 1827, in Szulaki, Poland (now in Ukraine). Coming from a land-owning Polish family, Marcelina displayed a deep piety and love for prayer from a young age. However, despite her desire to embrace a religious life, she made a promise to her dying father that she would marry and raise a family.

In 1849, Marcelina fulfilled her promise and married Karol Darowski, whom she sanctified their marriage by dedicating herself entirely to God. Sadly, her husband passed away less than three years later, leaving her a widowed mother to two children. Tragically, her son also died a year after her husband's death, further confirming Marcelina's belief that the path of religious life was destined for her.

In 1854, seeking respite for her health, Marcelina traveled to Rome, Italy, where she met Father Hieronim Kajsiewicz, a Resurrectionist who became her spiritual director. It was through Father Kajsiewicz that she would encounter Josephine Karska, a woman with a shared vision of establishing a religious community dedicated to the overall formation of women. With Josephine's inspiration and support, Marcelina founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Tragically, Josephine suffered from typhus for several years and eventually died in 1860, leaving Marcelina as the Superior of the new religious family, which initially consisted of only four individuals. Undeterred by the challenges, Marcelina moved the congregation to her homeland in 1863 and established their first school for girls in Jazlowiec, within the Archdiocese of Lviv, Ukraine. This school quickly grew to become a significant spiritual and cultural center.

Marcelina believed that women's education played a crucial role in the reformation of families and the establishment of a morally healthy society. She emphasized to the sisters and students the importance of placing God above all else, living by truth, cultivating mutual trust, and practicing unselfishness. With a deep concern for the poor, Marcelina strived to provide tuition-free elementary schools in each convent, offering assistance to those in need.

Throughout her fifty-year tenure as Superior, Marcelina opened seven convents with formation institutes and schools for children. Her dedication to education and her unwavering commitment to serving the poor earned her a reputation as a true visionary and spiritual leader.

Blessed Marcelina Darowska passed away on January 5, 1911, in Jazlowiec, Poland (now in Ukraine), at the age of 83, from natural causes. Her life of heroic virtue and her significant contributions to the education and empowerment of women led to her veneration by the Catholic Church. On December 15, 1994, Pope John Paul II declared her venerable, acknowledging the sanctity of her life. On October 6, 1996, Pope John Paul II beatified Marcelina Darowska, recognizing her as a blessed saint of the Catholic Church.