On March 23, 2026, the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Sister Barbara Stanisława Samulowska, DC, a visionary of Gietrzwałd and a devoted member of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. With this decree, her cause for beatification has entered a decisive new phase.

By recognizing her heroic virtues, the Church now confers on her the title Venerable, officially acknowledging the exemplary Christian witness she offered through a life marked by faith, humility, charity, and missionary zeal.

Born in 1865 in Woryty, in present-day Poland, Barbara Samulowska became known as one of the young visionaries of the Marian apparitions at Gietrzwałd in 1877—the only officially recognized Marian apparitions in Poland. Later in life, she entered the Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, embracing a vocation of service to the poor and the sick in the Vincentian spirit.

Her missionary journey eventually took her to Guatemala, where she dedicated many years to apostolic service, especially among the most vulnerable. There, she lived out her consecration with deep simplicity, fidelity to prayer, and tireless charity until her death in Guatemala City in 1950.

The recognition of her heroic virtues highlights not only her role as a Marian visionary but also her long and faithful life as a Daughter of Charity and missionary, lived in quiet dedication to God and neighbor. The decree represents a crucial milestone in her path toward beatification; the next step will require recognition of a miracle attributed to her intercession.

For the Vincentian Family and for the faithful devoted to the message of Gietrzwałd, this development is a moment of joy and renewed hope, as the Church formally recognizes the holiness of a woman whose life united Marian devotion with concrete service to the poor.