Bernard Łubieński

Bernard Łubieński, CSsR, (9 December 1846 – 10 September 1933) was a Polish Redemptorist priest, missionary and writer, closely associated with Bishop Robert Coffin and with the Roman Catholic Church in England, where he spent his youth and early career.

He was a member of the Redemptorist convent at St Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Clapham in London before returning to Poland in the 1880s to join in re-establishing his order over there with the help of his family.

[5] There were relatives in Herefordshire, as a cousin of their father's, Irena Dzierżykraj-Morawska, had come from Poland to marry Charles de La Barre Bodenham, from an ancient English recusant family, so that the Łubieński boys were able to visit them at their stately home, "Rotherwas Court".

This probably affected his initiative to join the Society of Jesus having attended a retreat at Manresa House, Roehampton led by Alfred Weld, from 30 August to 5 September 1964, after which his application was declined by the order.

[9] He travelled to Perth, Scotland to train in missionary work, visited Ireland and attended courses in Bishop Eton, in Liverpool while ministering to local people.

In 1882 having closed down his affairs in London, Łubieński returned to Poland — via Rome where twice he was granted an audience with Pope Leo XIII - after a 25-year absence, to participate in the re-introduction of the Polish Province of the Redemptorists and to be nearer to his large extended family.

He was offered the See of Mohilev, but turned it down on grounds of poor health and because of his inclination for holding retreats, missionary work and writing.

On 6 March 2018 Pope Francis promulgated a decree confirming the heroic nature of Łubieński's virtues, which carries with it the title of "Venerable".

Pomian CoA on sarcophagus of Maciej Łubieński , Primate, in Gniezno Cathedral