Mary, Mother of Raphael: Mary, the Immaculate, Our Model [1910]

Author: Mother MARYA RAFAELA of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (born Marianna Rafaela Lubowidzka) [a nun of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, founded by Blessed Franciszka Siedliska]

Publisher: “Polonia” Publishing House / Printing House, Kraków, 2 Zacisze St.

Year of publication: 1910. First edition.

Size: 18 cm.

Number of pages: 461.

Binding: Original period hardcover. The cover shows signs of wear, has a dulled finish, and the edges are slightly dusty; the cardboard structure is undamaged.

The book contains a series of reflections and spiritual exercises on the Mother of God as a model for life, in the spirit of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, intended for religious sisters and lay women. The author, Mother Mary Rafaela (Marianna Lubowidzka), belonged to the early generation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, a congregation founded by Blessed Franciszka Siedliska. The book was published in Kraków in 1910 by the “Polonia” printing house.

Provenance: On both endpapers, the half-title page, and in the text, there is a personal seal reading “Fr. Joannes Michora. O.E.S., P.A.” A large seal reading “Library of the Carmelite Fathers of the Order of the Holy Spirit in Kraków na Piasku” and a stamp reading “Withdrawn from duplicates,” indicating that this copy was legally withdrawn from the monastery library.

The block is solid and sturdy; the pages are clean, with no foxing or water stains. The binding shows signs of wear and the fabric has become dull from years of use, but the structure is intact.

An item from the 19th Polish Antiquarian Book Auction.