Jezuici prowincji litewskiej wobec epidemii dżumy z lat 1708–1711
Jesuits of the Lithuanian Province in the Face of the Epidemic of Plague in the Years 1708–1711

Summary/Abstract: The article presents the activity of the Jesuits during the epidemic of plague in the Rzeczpospolita during the Great Northern War. The author concentrates mainly on the Lithuanian province of the Society of Jesus, where the epidemic caused the highest number of deaths. Against the description of the structure of the personnel and the issue of the mortality rate among the monks prior to the outbreak of the epidemic, the author characterizes the variety of activities undertaken by the Jesuits. On the one hand, the aim of the Jesuits’ activity was to fulfill the mission of the Society, which consisted in providing spiritual and material help to fellow human beings. On the other hand, the aim was to protect the material and human resources of the Society. In the face of the epidemic most members of the Society left the college to seek shelter in one of the estates belonging to the Jesuits. Several Jesuit monks decided to stay to serve the sick monks and the inhabitants of the town who were unable to escape. According to the hierarchy of values of the Jesuits and the laudatory topical appearing in the home chronicles, the death of those Jesuits was presented as the achievement of the highest good. The Jesuits paid a high price for their material and spiritual involvement- the consequences of the epidemic continued to be visible many years after the outbreak of the plague.

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