... masz przeżywać życie, a nie je opisywać.

Pierwsi cz³onkowie zgromadzenia odegraj¹ znacz¹c¹ rolê w ¿yciu emigracji polskiej, narodu i Koœcio³a. Jañski zmar³ w Rzymie na gruŸlicê. Pozostawi³ Dziennik z lat 1830-1839, nie przeznaczony do publikacji, pisany wy³¹cznie dla siebie, dla nikogo wiêcej. Dziennik ten by³ zamierzony przez autora jako narzêdzie w poznawaniu siebie, w codziennym kontrolowaniu siebie – w celu doskonalenia siê. Jest to urzekaj¹cy g³êbi¹ myœli i dramatyzmem prze¿yæ, zdumiewaj¹cy szczeroœci¹ i naturalnoœci¹, i z tych wzglêdów bezprecedensowy, dokument ¿ycia duchowego. Andrzej Jastrzêbski Summary BOGDAN JAÑSKI (1807-1840) – an organizer of Christian life for Polish immigrants in France; redactor, publicist, translator; founder of the lay community Bractwo S³u¿by Narodowej (The Brotherhood of National Service), named with time, (Jañski(s House(. He contributed to the origins of the pious society, which took name of the Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Congregatio a Resurrectione Domini Nostri Jesu Christi). He received a Master of Laws and Economics at the University of Warsaw in 1827. Given his outstanding skills, he was nominated a professor at the Polytechnic Institute, and received a stipend from the government for further studies abroad. As a student, influenced by the writings of the philosophers of the French Enlightenment, he had disowned faith in God. He lived his youth tumultuously, professing the principles of hedonism. In Paris he was committed to the Saint simonists, becoming a fervent advocate on their behalf. He collaborated closely with their leaders, men like Prosper-Barthélemy Enfantin, Lazare-Hippolyte Carnot, Pierre Leroux, Edmond Talabot and others. B. Jañski was the first foreigner, and the first Pole, who, in the hierarchy of the French Saintsimonists, had received firstly the third, and then the second degree. During his stay in London, besides studying, he was involved in propagating Saintsimonism among English lawyers, barristers, and redactors. He established contacts with then famous Englishmen like John Stuart Mill, philosopher and economist; Joseph Hume, lawyer and writer, member of the House of Commons; John MacCulloch, professor of economics; Abraham Hayvard, lawyer and editor; and especially with Robert Owen, social reformer and philanthropist, and with whom he would keep correspondence. In London he learned about the outbreak of the 1830 insurrection in Poland. He did not take part in it but returned to Paris. When the Saintsimonist movement collapsed, Jañski, having lost his life-compass, entered into a profound spiritual crisis. At the time he became aware of participants in this insurrection who had fled to Paris and he begun taking part in their social, political, and cultural life. He collaborated closely with Adam Mickiewicz, translating into French his Ksiêgi narodu polskiego (Books of the Polish Pilgrims). He was engaged in writing reviews and commentaries for the French press, as well as entries in the well-known French encyclopedias, especially regarding Slavic issues. Searching for the meaning of life, he started to read about matters of religion and faith. He read writings on mysticism by Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin and also particularly the works of the leaders of the Catholic renewal in France, assembled earlier around the daily “L'Avenir”. In the forefront of this renewal were Félicité-Robert De Lamennais and his closest associates: Philippe-Olympe Gerbet, Jean-Baptiste-Henri Lacordaire, Charles de Montalambert. Jañski was undergoing a slow religious, moral, and intellectual evolution on the way to his final return to Catholicism. From that time on he was totally dedicated to bringing about the religious renewal of his secularized fellow countrymen living in France. He organized Bractwo S³u¿by Narodowej (The Brotherhood of National Service). Thanks to his deep religious involvement and gifted with a charisma, he attracted to his “House” young Poles who chose this for an apostolate. In this way he contributed to the founding of a later group of priests. The first members of the Congregation would play a relevant role later on in the lives of Polish immigrants, nation and Church. Jañski died in Rome, because of tuberculosis. He left his Diary from the years 1830-1839. It was not destined to be published, but was written exclusively for himself and for no one else. The Author had intended this Diary to be an instrument for his own self-knowledge, in his daily control of self in order to proceed on the way to perfection