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Nasza Przeszłość

Vol. 20 (1964): Our Past

Articles

The Jesuits and the Diocesan Seminary in Kalisz (1593-1620)

  • Ludwik Piechnik
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52204/np.1964.20.113-147  [Google Scholar]
Published: 1964-12-30

Abstract

The first diocesan seminaries established in Poland after the Council of Trent were, with a few exceptions, all Jesuit. The beginning and model for all other seminaries was the oldest seminary in Poland in Braniewo, founded in 1565 by Bishop Stanislaw Hozjusz. The seminary in Kalisz was founded by Primate Stanislaw Karnkowski, who, together with Hozjusz and Protaszewicz, became one of the greatest friends and benefactors of the new Jesuit order. Immediately after taking over the archdiocese of Gniezno in 1582, Karnkowski requested the opening of a seminary in the Jesuit College in Poznan and a second one in Kalisz, where he also founded a college for the Jesuits. The opening of the seminaries was delayed until 1593, however, because the chapter of Gniezno raised various objections to the Jesuits, pointing to unfavourable material conditions.
Apart from Bishop Karnkowski, two other priests were instrumental in the establishment of the seminaries. They were Alphonsus Pisanus and Sigismund Brodowski, the former an excellent professor, the latter a youth educator who was particularly devoted to the work of promoting vocations to the priesthood.
The school programme included not only the humanistic disciplines but also polemical theology. Moral theology, the study of Sacred Scripture, ecclesiastical ceremonies, chant and the study of Sacred Scripture, ecclesiastical ceremonies, chant and the study of the calendar. At the end of the 16th century, a short study of dogmatic theology and philosophical lectures were introduced.
The diocesan seminary in Kalisz existed until 1620, when Primate Wawrzyniec Gembicki took over the management of the seminary from the Jesuits and transferred its students to Gniezno. The official reason given by the Primate was that the Jesuits paid little attention to the practical training of the clergy, especially the study of ceremonies and chant. He also pointed out that there were enough suitable priests in his diocese to take over the ministry. In reality, however, it was a matter of the cathedral chapter's hostile attitude towards the Jesuit order, which at the time was involved in a dispute with the Academy in Krakow.

References

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