Book and Library in Life of Medieval and Old Polish St Dominic’s Convents exemplified by Monasteries in Central Poland in View of Library Collection

Tomasz Stolarczyk

Abstract

A book accompanied a Dominican monk from the moment of joining the novitiate till his death. It was indispensable during the studies and lifelong learning that was required by the rules or laws made by the Convent, and during daily chores of months: preaching, celebrating the mass, providing the sacraments, fasting and praying, contemplating and meditating the Holy Scriptures, and writings by the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, as well as combating the heresy. One can ascertain about it through analyzing the Dominican book collections maintained in the libraries of the monasteries in Gidly, Łęczyca, Łowicz, Piotrkow Trybunalski and Sieradz, by browsing through 8 library collection sets dating back to 17th Century and the one collection set dating back to 20th Century. The major objective of the Order of Friars Preachers (Ordo Fratrum Praedicatorum) was and still is to disseminate the Words of God, namely preaching. The large emphasis was put on education. Special Dominican studies providing education in theology and philosophy served these purposes. After establishment of every monastery, an affiliated Conventual school was set up. In a number of convents, particularistic studies, later substantive studies as well as advanced education institutions were opened in each province. Libraries, indispensable for schools, were inseparable from schools because they actually were the scientific base and workplace. There were as many libraries as monasteries. Their operations were governed by the rules or laws made by the Convent, beginning with the very specific rules and the constitution, and ending with monastic chronicles and records of expenditure. Within one year in Dominican Churches from 240 to 250 sermons were preached. Collections of sermons occupied a prominent place in every Dominican monastery. Given the aforementioned library collections, the largest of them was found in the conventual library in Sieradz - approximately 100 volumes. Preparing a homily, Dominican preachers from Gidla, Łowicz, Łęczyca, Piotrkow Trybunalski and Sieradz could make use of the sermons inter alia by Bernard de Bustis, Pelbart de Themeswar, Nicholas of Lyra, Pseudo-Pierre’a de La Paluda, Wilhelm Meffreth, Johannes Wilda (Ferusa), Piotr Skarga, Fryderyk Nausea (Blandicampianusa), Johanna Herold (Discipulusa), Wincenty Ferreriusz, Jakub de Voragine, Luis of Grenada called Granatensis, Johannes Hoffmeister, Johanna Eck (Eckiusa), Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Peter Comestor, Saint Bonaventure, Gabriel Biela, Marcin Białobrzeski, Saint Beda, Stanisław Karnkowski, Saint Bernardine of Siena, Dionysius the Great, Hugon de Prato Florido, Nicholas of Błonia. Dominican confessors, when getting ready for the award of the Sacrament of the Penance, read the manuals for confessors and works on moral theology inter alia by Gregory the Great, Angel de Clavasio, Andreas de Escobar, Martinus Azpilcuety, Thomas Stapleton, Saint Rajmund of Peñafort, Peter of Soto, Antonii Pierozzi (Antonii de Foligno) and Jan Gerson. In Friars Preachers Monasteries the Bible and Concordance were also diligently studied. The list of readings covered the writings of Dominican Fathers, Doctors and Apologists for the Church: Saint Augustyn of Hippony, Saint Thomas of Aquin, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, Saint Ambrose, Lactantius, Saint Cyprian, Saint Isidore of Seville, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Hieronymus, Saint John Damascene, Pope Saint Eusebius, Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Atanazy, Saint Basil the Great, Saint Cyril of Alexandria. In the seclusion offered by monasteries, Dominicans also practised asceticism and contemplated. Spiritual exercises in the convents under consideration were supported by the works of Denis the Carthusian, Hendrik Herp, Thomas a Kempis, Alain de la Roche (Alanusa de Rupe), Johannes Wild (Ferusa), Humbert de Romanis, Thomas Stapleton, Diego Estella, Luis of Granada. The monks also read the hagiographic works by: Wincenty of Kielcza Vita sancti Stanislai Cracoviensis episcopi (Vita maior) or Vita sancti Stanislai episcopi Cracoviensis (Vita minor), Jacobus de Voragine: Legenda aurea Sanctorum, sive Lombardica Historia, and Peter Kanijs Notae de Sanctis, Piotr Skarga Żywoty Świętych [Eng.: Lives of Saints], Antonii Grodzicki and Seweryn Lubomlczyk, Life of Saint Jacek Odrowąż, Gregory of Tours Vita Patrum, Bartłomiej Paweł Szotarewicz Byssus et Purpura Seu Vita et Martyrium D. Stanislai Episcopi Cracoviensis. Pope Gregory IX made Dominicans inquisitors who had to be perfect theologians to challenge infidels and heretics. Therefore they studied speculative and dogmatic theology and related works as well as polemical writings by: first of all Saint Thomas of Aquin, Piotr Lombard, Thomas de Vio Cajetan, Stanisław Hozjusz, Franciszek Kostera, Johann Eck, Walenty Poznański (Wróbel), Robert Bellarmin, Wojciech Nowopolski, Marcin Białobrzeski, Stanisław Orzechowski, Jakub Wujek.