Saint Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr
Memorial
April 11th
St. Stanislaus was born at Szczepanów, in the Diocese of Cracow, July 26, 1030.
Lambert Zula, Bishop of Cracow, ordained him priest and made him pastor of Czembocz near Cracow, canon and preacher at the cathedral, and later, vicar-general. After the death of Lambert he was elected bishop, but accepted only on explicit command of Pope Alexander II. He worked with his wonted energy for his diocese, and inveighed against vices among high and low, regardless of consequences.
Boleslaw II had become King of Poland. the renown he had gained by his successful wars he now sullied by atrocious cruelty and unbridled lust. Moreover the bishop had several serious disputes with the king about a piece of land belonging to the Church which was unjustly claimed by Boleslaw, and about some nobles, who had left their homes to ward off various evils threatening their families and who were in consequence cruelly treated by the king. Stanislaus spared neither tears nor prayers and admonitions to bring the king to lead a more Christian life. All being in vain, Boleslaw was excommunicated and the canons of the cathedral were instructed to discontinue the Divine Offices in case the king should attempt to enter.
St. Stanislaus retired to the Chapel of St. Michael in a suburb of Cracow. The king was furious and followed the bishop with his guards, some of whom he sent to kill the saint. These dared not obey, so Boleslaw slew him during the Holy Sacrifice. The body was at first buried in the chapel, but in 1088 it was transferred to the cathedral by Bishop Lambert II. St. Stanislaus was canonized 1253 by Innocent IV at Assisi.
(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition)
Collect:
O God, for whose honor the Bishop Saint Stanislaus
fell beneath the swords of his persecutors,
grant, we pray,
that we may persevere strong in faith even until death.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. +Amen
First Reading: Revelation 12:10-12a
And I, John, heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Rejoice then, O heaven and you that dwell therein! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!"
Gospel Reading:John 17:11b-19
And now I am no more in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one. While I was with them, I kept them in Thy name, which Thou hast given Me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to Thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that Thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. As Thou didst send Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.
When Stanislaus grew up, he studied at Gnesen and in Paris, France. After his parents died, he gave away all the money and property they had left him to the poor. Then he became a priest.
Stanislaus was made the bishop of Cracow when he was about forty years old. (Then hundreds of years later and before he became pope, our dearly beloved John Paul II was also bishop of Cracow in Poland.)
Bishop Stanislaus was loved by all his people, especially because of the way he took care of the poor, the widows and the orphans, often serving them himself.
Poland's king at that time was Boleslaus II. He was cruel and very sinful. The people were disgusted with his lifestyle and were afraid of him. Bishop Stanislaus first corrected him privately with respect and kindness. But he honestly and bravely told the king what he was doing wrong.
The king seemed sorry for a short while, but soon fell back into his bad ways again. He committed even more shameful sins. The bishop then had to put him out of the Church.
King Boleslaus flew into a terrible rage and to get revenge, he ordered two of his guards to kill St. Stanislaus. Three times they tried and failed. Then the king himself, in a fit of anger, rushed into the bishop's chapel and murdered St. Stanislaus as he was celebrating Mass. It was April 11, 1079.
God worked many miracles after St. Stanislaus' death. All the people called him a martyr.