Heroic Virtues
On December 18, 2017, a decree was promulgated stating that Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR had practiced to a heroic degree the theological virtues, the cardinal virtues, and the other virtues connected with them.
Beatification process
Venerable Servant of God Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR
Life, spiritual legacy, and testimonies of graces received
Discover the life of Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR — a Resurrectionist, educator, spiritual director, and witness to daily fidelity to God. Also share the testimony of a grace received through his intercession.
Venerable Servant of God
Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR
Life and spirituality
About Father Paul Smolikowski CR
The Venerable Servant of God Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR was born on February 4, 1849, in Tver, Russia, into a Polish family deeply rooted in faith and patriotic tradition. After his family returned from exile, he studied in Warsaw and then began his path of priestly and religious vocation.
In Rome, he came to know the Congregation of the Resurrection and bound his whole life to it. He made his first religious vows in 1868, his perpetual vows on March 5, 1873, and on April 15 of the same year he was ordained to the priesthood in the Eastern Rite. He desired to serve the Church also in the East, especially among the Bulgarian Uniates.
He served as a missionary, educator, and formator in Bulgaria, Lviv, Rome, and Kraków. He was rector of the Pontifical Polish College in Rome, Superior General of the Congregation of the Resurrection, novice master, ascetical writer, and a sought-after spiritual director.
In his personal life, he avoided all forms of extraordinariness. He was marked by fidelity to God, conscientiousness in fulfilling his duties, humility, obedience, and a deep concern to lead people into daily life with Christ. He died on September 11, 1926, in Kraków, with a reputation for holiness.
Beatification process
The path toward beatification
The beatification process of Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR is the Church’s response to the enduring reputation for holiness that accompanied his life and memory after death. The documents of the process emphasize his deep bond with Christ, fidelity to his vocation, pastoral charity, humility, and consistent fulfillment of God’s will.
Witness to life with Christ
His spirituality was centered on daily union with Christ, love for the Eucharist, fidelity to the Church, and complete abandonment to God’s will.
The importance of testimonies
Testimonies of graces received are important for further discernment and for documenting the fruits of prayer through the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God.
The informative process concerning the life, virtues, and reputation for holiness of Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR took place at the Archdiocesan Curia in Kraków in the years 1966–1968. Further work required by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints was then carried out, including the preparation of the Positio documentation.
After examining the materials, the theological consultors as well as the cardinals and bishops recognized the heroic virtues of the Servant of God. The decree points to his faith nourished by prayer, Eucharistic and Marian spirituality, charity directed toward service to God and neighbor, prudence, fortitude, and humility.
Testimonies
Why are testimonies important?
Testimonies of graces received are not treated sensationally. They are received with due discretion, with respect for the persons submitting them, and with the responsibility proper to beatification matters.
If you have received a grace that you associate with prayer through the intercession of Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR, you may share it with the persons responsible for documenting the process. The submission serves the purposes of discernment, archiving, and possible further contact. It is not automatically published on the website.
Prayer
Prayer for a grace through the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR
O God, infinitely good and merciful, who called Fr. Paul Smolikowski to devote his whole life to faithful and humble service to the Church, through his intercession graciously grant me the grace… for which I ask with trust. Through the Risen Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory be to the Father...
Pray these prayers for nine days, receive the sacraments
and add some form of mortification.
Please inform us of any grace received through the intercession of Fr. Paul:
the Curia of the Polish Province of the Resurrectionists:
e-mail: kuria@xcr.pl
the Postulator General:
e-mail: postulatorgeneraliscr@gmail.com
the Vice-Postulators:
e-mail: rogowo1964@wp.pl, alleluja@kr.onet.pl
Materials
Documents for download
We encourage you to download documents devoted to the life, spirituality, and beatification process of the Venerable Servant of God Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR. The materials may be saved, printed, and used for personal reading, prayer, reflection, or formation work.
The files include: the Decree on the Heroic Virtues, a selection of quotations from Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR, and the Educator’s Decalogue. These documents help readers better understand his fidelity to Christ, his love for God’s will, his concern for others, and his deep educational wisdom.
PDF
Download the document
Decree on the heroic virtues of the Venerable Servant of God Fr. Paweł Smolikowski, CR
“Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. …I have become all things to all, to save at least some.” (1 Cor 9:19.22)
PDF
Download the document
Quotes by Fr. Paweł Smolikowski, CR
“In our times, when love among people has grown so very cold, God, in order to rekindle it, awaken it and bring it back to life, wanted the Most Sacred Heart of Christ the Lord to be venerated in a special way in the Church, and in it that we might become aware of all that God suffered for love of us and how greatly He loved us.”
PDF
Download the document
The Educator’s Decalogue according to Fr. Paweł Smolikowski, CR
An essential area of educational activity is social formation, founded on responsibility and openness to the needs of others.
Download the documents, print them, and return to them at a convenient time. May they become a help in coming to know Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR more deeply — a priest, Resurrectionist, educator, spiritual director, and witness to a faithful life with Christ.
Graces received
Share a testimony
If you have received a grace that you associate with prayer through the intercession of Fr. Paul Smolikowski CR, you may submit your testimony using the form. Please describe the situation, intention, circumstances, and help received as specifically as possible.
The submission will be forwarded to the persons responsible for beatification matters. It will not be published publicly without separate contact and consent.
The data are transmitted solely for the purpose of handling the submission, providing a response, and enabling further verification by the persons responsible for the process.
Contact
Contact regarding the process
Please inform us of any grace received through the intercession of Fr. Paul:
the Curia of the Polish Province of the Resurrectionists:
e-mail: kuria@xcr.pl
the Postulator General:
e-mail: postulatorgeneraliscr@gmail.com
the Vice-Postulators:
e-mail: rogowo1964@wp.pl, alleluja@kr.onet.pl