Saint Stanislaus

Stanislaus was born around 1030 at Szczepanów in southern Poland. After studies, likely at Gniezno and possibly abroad, he was ordained a priest and became known as a fine preacher and a generous friend of the poor. In 1072 he was chosen bishop of Kraków.

He came into conflict with King Bolesław II, whose cruelty and immoral conduct he openly rebuked. When the king did not change, Stanislaus excommunicated him. In 1079, according to the traditional account, Bolesław killed the bishop with his own hand while Stanislaus was celebrating Mass in the church of Saint Michael at Skałka, outside Kraków. The murder caused outrage, and the king was soon forced into exile. Stanislaus was canonized in 1253 by Pope Innocent IV, and his relics rest in Wawel Cathedral, where Polish kings were later crowned beside his tomb.

Poland celebrates its patron on May 8 with a great procession through Kraków from Wawel Cathedral to Skałka, carrying his relics. Polish communities in the United States, especially in Chicago, also honor him, and Pope Saint John Paul II, once archbishop of Kraków, called him a patron of moral order.