Družbicki, Kaspar

DRUŽBICKI, KASPAR. - Polish Jesuit, preacher and writer, b. 6 Jan. 1590 at Sieradz (Greater Poland), d. at Poznań on 2 Apr. 1662. He taught logic, governed many colleges, was master of novices for 7 years, and twice provincial of Poland (1629-33, 1650-1654). Together with Fr. Leczycki (Lancicius), D. is the most prominent figure among the Polish Jesuits of the 17th century. A man of holy life, he was favored with singular graces and even with the gift of miracles.

He wrote pamphlets of great renown on the excellences of Jesus Christ and on his passion: Tractatus de variis Passionem D. N. Iesu Christi meditandi modis (Lublin 1652). With the exception, however, of this and of two or three other writings, most of D.'s works were printed after his death. The most celebrated are Droga doskonałości chrześcijańskiej (Way of Christian perfection; Kalisz 1665); Przemysły zysku duchownego (Means of spiritual profit; Kraków 1671); and, in Latin, Tribunal conscientiae (Kraków 1672); Provisiones senectutis (Kalisz 1673); Negotiatio spiritualis (Kraków 1674); De perenni Divinae voluntatis intentione (Kalisz 1680); Lapis Lydius boni spiritus (Prague 1690), etc. All the spiritual works were collected by Fr. D. Pawlowski (2 vols., Poznań-Kalisz 1686-9), preceded by a biography and followed by the complete list of his manuscripts.