JANSKI, BOGDAN. - Born at Ciechanowiec (Poland), 27 March 1807, died at Rome 2 July 1840. After completing his early studies at Pultusk, he entered the University of Warsaw in 1824 to follow courses in political economy. There he ended by losing his faith entirely, while abandoning himself to sensuality. Highly intelligent, in 1827 he was sent by the Russian government to Paris to perfect his studies there. He joined the sect of the Saint-Simonians, and, from September 1830 to February 1831, on the instructions of its leaders, he negotiated in London the union of the Owenites with the Saint-Simonians with such zeal that he did not trouble to hasten to Warsaw, which had risen against the Russians. But, having returned to Paris, he detached himself from the sect, re-entering, after very hard struggles, the Catholic Church.
Having refused to return to Warsaw to teach at the University, he lived miserably by giving lessons and writing articles, helped by his friends, among them Lacordaire, Montalembert and especially the poet A. Mickiewicz, then a fervent Catholic, with whom he collaborated in assisting materially and spiritually the Polish exiles in France after 1831. Also in order to prevent their perversion, J. founded a religious institute (later the Congregation of the Resurrection), although the priesthood was closed to him by the marriage he had contracted in his youth. Amid many difficulties, from as early as 1836 he directed the small community, and was able to send to Rome, to complete their studies there, his first disciples. He meanwhile sanctified himself amid great physical and moral sufferings. Having joined his disciples in Rome, consumed by tuberculosis, he died there.