The Sodality movement has been initiated in the 16th c. and it was around then that the first sodality organizations were created in Poland. The Sodality of Our Lady for Women Students and Female Participants of Higher Courses in Krakow was founded in 1906; it co-created the Krakow sodality movement in the interwar period together with the Sodality Movement of the Academicians at the Jagiellonian University, the Sodality Movement of the Academicians of the Academy of Mining and the Sodality Movement of the Students of the Higher Commercial College in Krakow. In 1925 the Sodality of Our Lady for Women Students and Female Participants of Higher Courses in Krakow became transformed into the Sodality of Our Lady for Women Academicians and when the ruling concerning academic associations was introduced in 1933, the organization had changed its name into: Sodality of Our Lady for Women Students of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The latter organization had laid special emphasis on religious instruction and spiritual formation of its female members, which is a characteristic feature of all sodality movements. But apart from the activity which was focused on the spiritual sphere, the Sodality movement also provided assistance in the strictly material sphere both to sodality members and persons from outside the organization – among others, to children, those in need of material aid or the sick who were undergoing treatment in St. Lazarus or St. Ludwig Hospitals in Kraków
Poverty and distress have inseparably accompanied the mankind since the very beginning of civilization. In different époques different measures were taken to counteract this state of situation. The attitude of the ancient towards the poor differed, on the whole it was unfavourable, however, in the Roman Empire attempts at protecting the poor, disabled and orphaned children by the rulers could be noticed. Systematic help from the society was started in the Middle Ages alongside with the spread of Christianity, which treated the helping the neighbour as a reward to be received in eternal life. On the territory of Poland the institution, which started the help was the Catholic Church. Monastic orders were looking after the sick, maintaining the hospitals, which in those times offered shelter to the needy, not performing their treatment functions. The rulers, on the other hand, limited themselves only to giving regulations to prevent overspreading beggary. The simplest ways of helping were at that time giving alms and distributing food. Unfortunately, they it was only temporary measure and they did not solve the problem of the excluded as they did not eliminate the causes of the poverty. Not until 16th century did the thinkers such as Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski voice their opinions that it was most important to create work conditions for the poor to enable them to exist. Since that time the value of work and activity of the poor has been underlined in the theoretical conceptions (Mary Richmond) as well as realized practically (Stanisław Staszic and The Society of Hrubieszów). In the 19th traditional charity of Middle Ages was replaced by philanthropy, whose character was more connected with the economic questions. During the time of partitions the economic factor was closely related with the element of keeping up Polish national identity and realized by the Catholic Church as well as by the contemporary society.
Na przełomie XIX i XX w. funkcjonowało w Krakowie wiele organizacji katolickich i kościelnych, w tym liczne sodalicje mariańskie. Był to szczególny rodzaj stowarzyszeń kościelnych, powstających osobno dla każdego stanu, płci, grupy wiekowej czy zawodowej. Sodalicje nastawione były na rozwój duchowy swoich członków. Z racji tak dużej różnorodności cieszyły się one zainteresowaniem krakowian, którzy pragnęli poświęcić swój czas doskonaleniu duchowemu i pogłębianiu wiary katolickiej. Sodalicje opierały się na podobnym schemacie organizacyjnym, w którym istotna rolę odgrywał opiekun duchowy, moderator, którym zazwyczaj był duchowny jezuicki, z racji tego, że ruch sodalicyjny narodził się w ramach Towarzystwa Jezusowego. Połączenie z hierarchią duchowną widoczne było także w zatwierdzaniu sodalicji przez władzę kościelną poprzez przyłączanie do archisodalicji Prima Primaria w Rzymie czy też zatwierdzaniu przez Kurię krakowską i przyznaniu biskupowi krakowskiemu uprawnień w ramach sodalicji. Istniejące na przełomie XIX i XX w. sodalicje męskie grupowały kapłanów diecezji krakowskiej, kupców, rzemieślników i rękodzielników, inteligencję męską. Współdziałanie osób o podobnym światopoglądzie i trudniących się tym samym zawodem czy też należących do tej samej grupy społecznej skutkowało silnym zintegrowaniem i wzajemnym wspieraniem w wypełnianiu zobowiązań sodalicyjnych.
EN
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries Kraków was home to many Catholic and Church organisations and among them numerous Marian Sodalities. It was a particular kind of Church association created for every social, sex, age or occupation group. The sodalities aimed at spirituals growth of their members. Due to their great diversity the sodalities were popular with many citizens of Kraków who wished to devote their time to perfect themselves and deepen their Catholic faith. The sodalities followed a similar organisational structure in which an important role was played by a spiritual guide, a moderator, who usually was a Jesuit Father, as the sodality movement was born inside the Society of Jesus. A link with the Church hierarchy could also be seen in approvals of sodalities by Church authorities, in uniting them with the Primary Sodality (Prima-Primaria) in Rome or approvals of the Kraków Curia and granting the Kraków's bishop the rights within the sodality. The existing men's sodalities at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries drew together priests from Kraków diocese, merchants, craftsmen and artisans, and the intelligentsia. The cooperation of people with similar views and occupation, or belonging to the same social group resulted in strong integration and mutual support in fulfilling their sodality commitments.
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