The Congregation of Saint Michael Archangel (Michaelite Fathers) was founded in Poland by Blessed Bronislaw Markiewicz. It is a community of priests and brothers who work in Poland, the cradle of the Congregation, as well as in Belarus, the Ukraine, and in 2 Provinces and 2 Vice Provinces and 2 Delegations. The Congregation currently has 273 priests, 14 brothers, and 32 seminarians in temporary and perpetual profession, as well as 4 novices. In Poland we have 31 communities, and there are 59 other communities abroad. The Michaelite Fathers run 3 Houses of Formation for seminarians and 2 Novitiates. They exercise their pastoral and educational ministry in 15 countries. Some Michaelite Fathers are also working in the Vatican.
Blessed Founder also gave the beginning to the Michaelite Sisters. The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Michael the Archangel currently has 253 professed members, including 9 sisters in temporary vows, 4 novices, 2 postulants and 2 aspirants. The Congregation has 29 religious communities in Poland and another 8 homes abroad. The Sisters of the Congregation work in 6 European countries and some sisters work as missionaries in Cameroon.
The Michaelites have been working in the Diocese of London, Ontario, Canada, since 1962. They form the North American Vice Province. The headquarters, Michaelite House and Retreat Centre, owned by the Congregation, is located in London, Ontario. In the Diocese of London our Congregation has custody of two parishes: Our Lady of Czestochowa (Polish-English) and the St. Mary's (Italian-English). Since the year 2000, the Congregation also serves in the Archdiocese of Toronto where the Michaelites have custody of St. Teresa's Parish (Polish-English) and Christ the King (Polish-English) in Etobicoke, Toronto. The remaining priests have assignments as pastors and associate pastors in various parishes of the Diocese of London. Currently, there are 12 Michaelites belonging to the Vice Province, with one senior priest among them. In addition to the apostolic pastoral duties, which are done in Polish, Italian, and English, the Michaelites also direct a retreat centre, organize pilgrimages, lead parish missions, and offer group retreats.
Since July 1, 2012 the Congregation took custody of St. Clare parish with Fr. Andrew Kowalczyk as the pastor. This is the first parish in the USA run by the Congregation.
BLESSED FATHER BRONISLAW MARKEIWICZ
He was born July 13, 1842 in Pruchnik, in the Diocese of Przemysl, the territory of Galicia, under Austrian rule - the most neglected corner of Central Europe. He came from a large middle-class family. At home he received religious training, but his faith wavered in his youth, during high school. Thanks to prayer and good lecture, he overcame the crisis and regained a strong and lively faith which would remain for the rest of his life. This crisis only strengthened him and allowed him to better understand the value of faith. Henceforth, faith compelled him to a heroic l ove of God and neighbor.
After high school he joined the seminary in Przemysl (1863). He was then ordained a priest (1867), and he worked in many parishes as vicar and pastor, earnestly caring about the development of the faith of the faithful for their sanctification. He further studied in Krakow and Lviv (1873-1875). He was a professor and prefect in the Przemysl seminary. He became acquainted with the problems of the Galician population and was particularly sensitive towards the religious, moral, and material negligence of children and youth and to the misery of simple people (such as the plague of alcoholism). He spoke strongly against the national vices of the Polish nation. He saw and lamented for the young rural generation whose education was being neglected. He desired to join a religious order which would bring a solution to the social problems. That solution depended upon the proper education of young people and on changing the moral climate of the whole society. Fr Markiewicz eventually heard of and became a follower of Saint John Bosco (of Turin) and his role in educating young minds. And so, after 18 years of working as a priest in Poland, he went to Italy (1885), to Turin, and he joined the Salesians of Don Bosco. In 1887, he professed religious vows. He personally got to know Fr. John Bosco and his educational system, based on the preventive system and principles of the Christian faith contained in the slogan "temperance and work." He decided to bring these ideas onto Polish land, because he saw in them a chance to heal the spiritual, moral and economic Galician society.
In 1892, as the first Salesian, he returned to Poland and was put in charge of a poor parish in the Carpathian ‘Miejsce Piastowe.’ There he organized a widespread educational system, which not only included academics but also dealt with the spiritual and physical growth of the children, in the houses established by him. Due to the extremely bad economic situation of the country, he could not keep the Italian model alive in the Polish conditions, and the Italian superiors did not agree with his modifications. Moreover, in 1897, directives of a Salesian inspector from Turin threatened the elimination of the developing educational institute. In order to save it, he decided to establish a new religious congregation, and to initiate it he introduced a secular society by the name of "Temperance and Work" (1898). In the same year he founded the monthly journal of the same name, as a forum of the society, to spread their ideas and social education on a broad scale. The Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel was formed, but with great difficulty. He petitioned the Bishop of Przemy?l and the Pope to allow him to found the Congregation, and in spite of intensive efforts on his part, Father Markiewicz did not live to witness its approval and died on 29th January 1912. On 29th September 1921, Adam Stefan Sapieha, Bishop of Krakow, issued the Erecting Decree of the Congregation, and in 1928, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Michael the Archangel (Michaelite Sisters) was also approved.
Fr. Bronislaw Markiewicz was a prophet and a man of great faith. He believed that his religious congregation would receive approval of the Church, and would grow and give a great service to the Church in Poland and to the world. He urged his spiritual sons to only selfless work for "the little ones" and to obey ecclesiastical authority. His whole life and work was imbued with faith – "faith which operates out of love" (Ga 5, 6).
He was beatified in Warsaw on June 19, 2005.
The Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Michael the Archangels was established in Miejsce Piastowe near Krosno at the end of XIX. Growing social, economic, and political unrest created a need for the new community to look after abandoned and neglected youth. In the history of the Michaelite Sisters a prominent role was played by Servant of God, Sister Anna Kaworek (1872-1936) who after the death of Blessed Bronislaw Markiewicz took charge in organizing lives of the Sisters and their pupils. Sister Anna was chosen as the Mother Superior of the new Congregation. For 38 years she led her new community. Thanks to her dedication, commitment, and heroic hope the Sisters build their religious house and welcomed recognition by the Holy See in 1928. Her beatification process is currently underway in Rome.
At the present time the Sisters are working in 29 places in Poland, in the dioceses of: Czestochowa, Cracow, Przemysl, Radom, Rzeszow, Tarnow, Torun, Warsaw and Warsaw-Bemowo. They run educational facilities, after school youth programs, daycares, school, and a house for mothers with children. The Sisters teach religion in the schools and work in parishes as organists and sacristans.
In 2012 there were 212 Sisters , 5 Novices, 2 Postulants, and 2 Candidates. With the exception of few – very ill and aged – all sisters are involved in apostolic ministry, educational and charitable efforts and domestic work.
The Congregation also has another 8 religious houses abroad. The Sisters of the Congregation work in 6 European countries and some sisters work as missionaries in Cameroon.