ARCHIVES AND LIBRARY

The Archives contains handwritten and printed archival materials related to the life and activities of Mother Mary Angela that were produced during her terms as the Superior General and the Spiritual Mother of the Congregation as well as during the office of two following Superiors General: Mother Mary Anna Bielska and Mother Mary Magdalena Borowska, who had performed their office during the life of the Foundress. These are private memorabilias, correspondence with the Cappuchin Fathers and with private individuals, letters directed to the institutions, materials regarding the first Sisters, the history of the Congregation of the Felician Sisters and the acts of the beatification process of Mary Angela.

The Library holds the books issued by 1900. Most of the books  in Polish, French, Italian, German and English are the publications on religion, regarding the Eucharistic devotion and an ascetic life. 

Noteworthy are: old prints and several editions of the Bible translated by Fr. James Wujek.

Part of the Library is a book  collection of the Truszkowski family, and the books donated to the Felician Sisters by Pelagia Russanowska.

FAMILY ROOM

In the family room one can get to know Blessed Mary Angela?s family and places related to her childhood and youth.

In the second part of the room, let us pause in front of the copy of Our Lady of Czestochowa Icon, in the Congregation called the “Foundress”, in front of which the Congregation of the Felician Sisters was founded on November 21, 1855. The exhibition is enriched by the photographs of places associated with the beginnings of the Congregation.

MOTHER ANGELA’S ROOM

In the location of the religious cell where Mother Angela lived between 1866 and 1870 one finds the oldest portrait of the Foundress painted in 1924 by Joseph Kaczmarczyk, Professor of the Jagiellonian University.

In the display cases, we can see documents, memorabilia and writings of Mary Angela.

On the walls between separate rooms there are panels regarding the history of the Congregation and portraits of some of the first Mothers and Sisters, who have made a special contribution to the history of the Felician Family.

READING ROOM

In the reading room there are gathered newer publications, among them various encyclopedias and dictionaries ; publications on Bl. Mary Angela and the Congregation founded by her.  This room is a workplace for readers and archivists.

At the staircase leading to the second floor there are paintings depicting scenes from the life of Mary Angela, painted by Sister Mary Kazimiera Tkacz from Krakow. 

(On the corridor, at the entrance to the Reading Room, there is a statue of Mary Angela made in 1999 by an Italian artist Giuseppe Stuflesser)

HALL OF THE HISTORY AND SPIRITUALITY OF THE CONGREGATION

In the hall one can get acquainted with the memorabilia from the last years of Blessed Mary Angela?s life, elements of her religious dress, as well as documents related to the approval of the Congregation by the Holy See.

The portraits of personalities, who played an important role both at the beginning of the Congregation and at the time of its development, create a separate part of the exhibition.

The display cases show the main features of Mary Angela?s spirituality, and thus the main features of the spirituality of her Congregation and the range of apostolic activity of the Felician Sisters in the nineteenth century.

The beatification panels will help us to trace the course of Mary Angela?s beatification process until April 18, 1993 – the day of the solemn beatification at St. Peter?s Square in Rome.

LITURGICAL HALL

In the liturgical hall, thanks to the exhibits, such as the altar of the first Generalate of the Congregation, the Statues, monstrances and liturgical vessels offered to Mother Angela or used in her time, we can get to know even more deeply the spirituality of Mother and her spiritual daughters.

The valuable exhibit shown in this room are chasubles embroidered by Mary Angela.