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The new guardians
of the shrine of Saint Michael

Since 13 July 1996 the Fathers of the Congregation of Saint Michael Archangel have officially undertaken the pastoral care of the shrine of Saint Michael replacing the Benedictine Verginiani Fathers after 25 years of untiring and fruitful service.
The Congregation of Saint Michael Archangel, of Polish origin was founded by the Venerable Servant of God, Father Bronislao Markiewicz. Sixth son of a numerous and honest Polish family, he was born on 13 July 1842 at Pruchnik (Galizia - south Poland). During his high school years he lived through a deep spiritual crises caused by an antireligious climate in the school, which after overcoming this he decided to dedicate his life to the service of his fellow creatures. He was ordained a priest in 1867 at Przemysl; his pastoral service, first as parish vicar and then as parish priest, was dedicated towards the poor, the outcasts and above all the young. In 1885 he arrived in Italy, entered the Salesian Congregation and personally knew Saint John Bosco.

He returned to Poland in 1892 to become the parish priest at Mieisce Piastowe, where he stayed until his death on 29 January 1912.
In 1897 he left the Salesians with the intention of establishing a new religious family, always with the spirit of Don Bosco, but with special attention to the necessities of the poor in Galizia.
Whilst waiting for ecclesiastical approval, he founded a lay community which he called "Temperance and Work" with the aim of educating abandoned children and youths. Finally, on 29 September 1921, nine years after the death of the Venerable Servant of God, Bronislao Markiewicz, the new Congregation of Saint Michael Archangel was given ecclesiastical approval.
The spirituality and style of life of this religious family, commonly known as the Michaelites, is contained in the two phrases: "Who is like God! and "Temperance and Work'' with the aim of educating abandoned children and youths.

The first motto clearly indicates God as the only sense of life. The second motto emphasizes the charism and style of life proper to the Michaelites. The religious of the Congregation of Saint Michael Archangel achieves his own call through the virtue of temperance, understood as freedom from all interior and exterior conditioning, dominion over the passions and real peace which permits to serve God in total and loving availability towards the neighbour, in a special way towards abandoned children and youths. Another element which characterizes the work of the Michaelites is the triple work: spiritual, intellectual and manual. Temperance and work intend to be a strong sign and suggest a style of life to the society of today,

carried away by consumerism and the search of pleasure, the invitation to find again the true values of sobriety, justice and solidarity.
Therefore in their pastoral duties the Michaelites give particular attention to the young and children, the men of tomorrow, through parochial work as well as through the achievement of institutes for orphans or abandoned children.
Besides the care of parishes, the Michaelites also accomplish their charisma through popular missions, spiritual exercises, editorial activities, the care of priestly and religious vocations and the direction of some shrines. They operate in Poland, Bielorussia, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Canada, New Guinea, the Argentine, Paraguay, The Dominican Republic and the Dutch Antilles. In Italy, where, through a special grace of Our Lord, the Michaelites have been called to guard the prestigious shrine of Monte Sant'Angelo, dedicated to their protector, carry out their ministry in the province of Viterbo, at Castel Sant'Elia where they look after the parish and guard the Pontifical Shrine of Most Holy Mary of Rupes, which is also the seat of their Major Seminary.
In Rome they support the small church Quo Vadis, and at Borgo d'Ale in the province of Vercelli, they carry out their services in the parish.
The Congregation of Saint Michael Archangel, fortified by their Patron the Archangel, wish to give wishes with their lives to this only and essential truth for each one of us! Who is like God!