Background
Edmund Bojanowski was born in the small village of Grabonóg, Poland, on 14 November 1814 to a family of Polish nobility (szlachta).
Edmund Bojanowski was born in the small village of Grabonóg, Poland, on 14 November 1814 to a family of Polish nobility (szlachta).
Edmund continued to suffer ill health throughout his lifetime. Because of this he could not attend school and had to be tutored at home. At the age of 20 he developed tuberculosis.
He later continued his studies at the University of Wrocław and in Berlin, Germany.
He was, however, too frail at this time to study for the priesthood, a vocation that he would attempt later in life.
At the age of four, Edmund became ill and appeared to die, only to appear to come to life a short while later. On his recovery, he vowed to dedicate his life to the Virgin Mary. Because of what he saw as a need to serve the poor, Bojanowski was able to found an order of nuns, called the congregation of the Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mother of God (Sióstr Służebniczek Bogarodzicy Dziewicy Niepokalanie Poczętej).
This later led to the creation of the separate orders of the congregation of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate (Sióstr Służebniczek Najświętszej Maryi Panny Niepokalanie Poczętej) in Poznań, Przemyśl, Wrocław, and Dębica (Tarnow).
In 1867 Bojanowski authorized the founding of the Congregation of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God headed by Frances Margaret Taylor in England. During the last years of his life, Bojanowski studied for the priesthood.
However, his health continued to deteriorate, and he died 7 August 1871 in Górka Duchowna without becoming ordained as a priest. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II, in Warsaw, on 13 June 1999.
His memory is celebrated in Polish Catholic churches on August 7 of each year.