Celine Borzecka

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Blessed Celine Borzęcka
Born	October 29, 1833, Antowil, Orsza, formerly Poland, today in Belarus
Died	October 26, 1913, Krakow, Poland
Venerated in	Roman Catholicism
Beatified	October 27, 2007, Basilica of Saint John Lateran, Rome
Feast
Saints Portal

Mother Celine Chludzińska Borzęcka, also known as Blessed Celine Borzęcka (born Celine Chludzińska on October 29, 1833, Antowil, Orsza, formerly Poland, today in Belarus, died October 26, 1913, Krakow) was a foundress, along with her biological daughter Hedwig Borzecka, of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection, a Roman Catholic religious order.

Celine was one of three children born to wealthy land-owning parents, Ignatius and Petronella Chludzińska. Growing up, she considered a religious vocation, but out of obedience to her parents she married Joseph (Józef) Borzęcki in 1853 becoming Celine Borzęcka. During their marriage, Celine gave birth to four children, two of whom died in infancy. She helped her husband manage their estate and educated her two daughters, Celine and Hedwig (Jadwiga), at home.

In 1869 her husband Joseph had a stroke and was struck by paralysis. Seeking out the best medical treatment for her husand, Celine and her family moved to Vienna. Joseph died a few years later, after which Celine went with her two daughters, Celine and Hedwig, to Rome.

In Rome, she met Fr. Peter Semenenko, a co-founder of the Congregation of the Resurrection, who became her spiritual director. In 1882, Celine Borzęcka along with her daughter Hedwig (her daughter Celine had married) and two other women began living as a religious community. In 1887, Celine Borzęcka opened her first school, where Monsingor Giacomo della Chiesa (the future Pope Benedict XV) served as chaplain.^[1]

On January 6, 1891, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Resurrection was officially founded, and the two co-foundresses, Mother Celine Borzęcka and her daughter Mother Hedwig Borzęcka made their final vows. In the fall of 1891, the order's first house was opened near Wadowice in Poland. Other houses soon followed in Bulgaria, Poland, and the United States. Mother Celine Borzęcka continued to lead the order until 1911. She died on October 26, 1913 in Krakow, Poland.^[2]