Gabriel Lenkiewicz, actually Gabriel Lenkiewicz-Ipohorski,

Kotwicz coat of arms Kotwicz is a Polish coat of arms The coat of arms of Poland is a white, crowned eagle with a golden beak and talons, on a red background. In Poland, the coat of arms as a whole is referred to as ''godło'' both in official documents and collo ...

, (15 March 1722,

Polotsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Dist ...

– 21 November 1798,

) was a Polish-Lithuanian Jesuit

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

, and ''Temporary Vicar General'' of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

from 1785 until 1798, at a time when under Papal suppression in all Catholic countries, the Society continued in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

Early years and formation

Lenkiewicz was born in

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

(today's

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

), in a noble Polish–Lithuanian family. He joined the

Jesuits , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

after completing the 'Humanities'. He did his philosophy (1748–51) in Nieswiez and then studied

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

and

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

in the

Academy of Vilnius Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow an ...

(1752–54). This was followed by theology in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...

(1754–58) where he was ordained priest (1757). After a few years teaching mathematics in Warsaw he was sent to Polish College in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

for further specialisation in

Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

(1762–65).

Career

Back in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

he was appointed to teach science at

(1765–68) but he made himself a name rather as architect of public and ecclesiastical buildings, including the construction of new premises for the Jesuit College of Polotsk where Stanislaus Czerniewicz was the rector. After the First Partition of Poland-Lithuania and the second

Suppression of the Society of Jesus The suppression of the Jesuits was the removal of all members of the Society of Jesus from most of the countries of Western Europe and their colonies beginning in 1759, and the abolishment of the order by the Holy See in 1773. The Jesuits were ...

(1773) he became the

right hand man A personal assistant, also referred to as personal aide (PA) or personal secretary (PS), is a job title describing a person who assists a specific person with their daily business or personal task,. it is a sub-specialty of secretarial duties ...

of Vicar General Czerniewicz, negotiating alongside him the survival of the Jesuits with Empress

Catherine II of Russia , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anha ...

, all the while making sure that the standard of scientific education in Polotsk remained high. To Lenkiewicz, 'quality education' was an absolute necessity if the Society was to survive in the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

The Second General - Interim - Congregation of Polotsk

Lenkiewicz was busy preparing the Second General (Interim) Congregation called to elect a successor to Stanislaw Czerniewicz (died in 1785) when news reached him that

Pope Pius VI Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799. Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...

had given a verbal approval (12 March 1783) for the existence of the Society in Russia. At the Second General Congregation of Polotsk, Lenkiewicz was elected Vicar General on 8 October 1785. Much encouraged by the tacit approval of the Pope, the Congregation of Fathers did much to re-organise the life of the Society in Russia, after the first years of disarray, focusing on religious life and commitment, education (implementing the '' Ratio Studiorum''), formation, admission of ex-Jesuits, etc. The province in Russia then numbered 172 Jesuits (95 priests, 23 students, 48 brothers and 6 novices). They ran 6 high schools. Polotsk became the centre of all Jesuit activities.

Temporary Vicar General

As Vicar General Lenkiewicz established relations with ex-Jesuits who wanted to rejoin the Society. He developed missionary activities in the North, but had to struggle to maintain the Society’s independence in the face of interference of the local bishop. After the death of two strong supporters of the Society in Russia, the local Governor in 1791, and most especially after the death of Empress Catherine in 1796, Lenkiewicz went through tough times. He was heartened however, when her son and successor, Emperor Paul I, expressed support for the Jesuits, a few months after her death, in 1797. The Society's hope of being once again officially recognised was coming closer to realisation, when the

Duke of Parma The Duke of Parma and Piacenza () was the ruler of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, a historical state of Northern Italy, which existed between 1545 and 1802, and again from 1814 to 1859. The Duke of Parma was also Duke of Piacenza, excep ...

, Italy, asked for some Jesuits to be sent to recommence work in Parma in 1793. Many ex-Jesuits asked to be re-affiliated with the Society in Russia in this period. The years when Lenkiewicz was Vicar General were characterised by improved stability in the life of the Jesuits in Russia, and by the renewal of apostolic activities. Young men arrived from all over

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

with the desire to join the Jesuits. Spending 30 years in Polotsk in various capacities Lenkiewicz made it a renowned place, with its scientific laboratory, rich library, museum of natural sciences, and other artistic and religious resources. He died in office in Polotsk.

References

Bibliography

*Marek Inglot: ''La Compagnia di Gesù nell'Imperio Russo (1772-1820)'', Roma, 1997. *S. Zalenski: ''Les Jésuites de la Russie Blanche'', (2 vol.), Paris, 1886.

Succession

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lenkiewicz, Gabriel 1722 births 1798 deaths 18th-century Lithuanian Jesuits Belarusian Jesuits People from Polotsk Vilnius University alumni