Stanislaus Kostka - The Patron of Poland and Youth

   One of the best known Polish saints is Stanisław (Stanislaus) Kostka, who lived only 18 years (1550-1568) but even though, his life would be remembered forever.

   Stanislaus was born in the wealthy Polish family; his father Jan (John) was a Lord of Zakroczym and a senator (in Polish: kasztelan) of the Kingdom of Poland; his mother was Małgorzata Kryska from Drobni (Margaret de Drobniy Kryska), the aunt of Felix Kryski - the Chancellor of Poland. Stanislaus was the second child of seven total.

   When he was 14 he moved to Vienna with his brother and their tutor to attend the jesuit collage. At the end of his 3rd year in collage he was well-educated, he spoke fluently in Latin and German and he also understood Greek. He was not able to pray and contemplate within his day-time because of many duties which he must had done, so he did this at night.

   In December 1565 he fell sick and he was aware of his own death. He was cured by the Virgin Mary and he was told to join the Society of Jesus. However, Jesuits did not have a practice to take their apprentices without permission of thier parents. Because of the status of the Stanislaus' father, he did not want his son to be a priest and he would never accept this fact, he could have stopped his son of doing such a thing. Therefore, Stanislaus made a plan to escape from Vienna to Augsburg where he could join the Society. Unfortunately, after Stanislaus' adversity in his road to Augsburg, when he arrived there he did not find the supervisor of the Jesuit school and he had to go even further to try his luck. Whole journey from Vienna to Dillingen had about 650 kilometers long. He somehow managed to arrive there and Jesuits accepted him making him a novice.

   Not long after that, Stanislaus and the other two acolytes were sent to Rome with a recommendation to the general of the Society of Jesus there. Road to the capital city of Italy was very difficult; most of the time they went on foot and young apprentices finally arrived there on 25 October 1567. At the beginning of 1568 he was fully recognized as a monk in the Society of Jesus. He was like a mirror of religious perfection.

   Stanislaus wrote a letter to the Virgin Mary in which he pleaded to be able to die on the feast of the Assumption and hid it on his chest. His request was fulfilled. On 15 August he died. The rumour spread in Rome very quickly and even older monks started to worship his dead body. Cult of Stanislaus Kostka has born at once and people has started to believe that he truly was a saint.