Regina Protmann

Regina Protmann's initiative was revolutionary for her time. Following the Council of Trent (1545-1563), ecclesiastical discipline imposed strict enclosure on all female religious communities. However, Regina refused to be locked behind grilles so that she could go directly to meet the sick and the poor in their homes. She thus founded a community of active and contemplative life, without rigid enclosure, under the name of "Devout Virgins of Saint Catherine," choosing Saint Catherine of Alexandria (patroness of the local parish church) as its protector.

With the help of the Jesuit fathers, who provided spiritual direction to the community, Regina drafted constitutions (the Regulae breves) inspired by the Rule of Saint Augustine. These rules were officially approved by the Bishop of Warmia, Martin Kromer, on March 8, 1583. Faced with the influx of new companions, the work developed rapidly. Regina founded new houses in Wormditt (Orneta) in 1586, Heilsberg (Lidzbark) in 1587, and Rössel (Reszel) in 1593.

In addition to caring for the sick at home and managing community hospitals, Regina Protmann innovated by creating schools for young girls, offering them religious and elementary education (reading, writing, arithmetic) at a time when formal instruction was almost exclusively reserved for boys. On March 12, 1602, Bishop Piotr Tylicki approved new revised constitutions, which received confirmation from the Apostolic Nuncio Claudio Rangoni and the approval of Pope Clement VIII.

Regina Protmann dedicated the final years of her life to consolidating her foundation and watching over her sisters. During the winter of 1612-1613, while on a journey undertaken to visit the various houses of the congregation, she contracted a serious illness. She died a holy death on January 18, 1613, in Braunsberg, surrounded by her companions, at the age of 60. Her first biographer, the Jesuit father Engelbert Keilert, published her life in 1623, bearing witness to her unwavering faith, her heroic charity, and her profound union with God.

Regina Protmann's reputation for holiness endured through the centuries, particularly in Warmia and within her congregation. However, political upheavals and wars delayed the official introduction of her cause. The informative process for her beatification finally opened in 1957 in the diocese of Warmia and in Frascati. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints validated the diocesan inquiry on September 19, 1991, and formally approved the cause on October 27, 1992. On December 17, 1996, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues, proclaiming her Venerable.

The miracle required for her beatification concerns an unexplained healing that occurred in Brazil, attributed to her intercession. After a rigorous diocesan investigation, the medical commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the scientifically inexplicable nature of this healing on June 26, 1997. The theologians gave a favorable opinion on January 9, 1998, followed by the cardinals and bishops who were members of the Congregation on March 17, 1998. Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the miracle on April 6, 1998.

The solemn beatification ceremony was celebrated by Pope John Paul II on June 13, 1999, in Warsaw, during his apostolic journey to Poland. On this occasion, the Sovereign Pontiff highlighted how Regina Protmann was able to combine an intense contemplative life with tireless service to the sick and the education of young women.

The spirituality of Regina Protmann is based on an intimate union with Christ, whom she considered her Lord and Spouse, nourished by incessant prayer. Her life motto, "As God wills" (Wie Gott will / Jak Bóg chce), expresses her total abandonment to the divine will and her absolute trust in Providence. She exhorted her sisters not to flee the world, but to engage in it actively to manifest the mercy of God there.

The heritage of Regina Protmann is immense. The Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Catherine Virgin and Martyr (C.S.C.), which received the definitive approval of the Holy See on May 23, 1903, has continued to develop despite the trials of history, notably the Second World War and the expulsion of the populations of Ermland in 1945. Today, the sisters perpetuate the charism of their founder throughout the world, working in the fields of health, education, and social assistance in many countries, including Poland, Germany, Brazil, Lithuania, Finland, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Togo. On June 28, 2000, Regina Protmann was also proclaimed patroness of the city of Braniewo.