Saint Hyacinth

A Short Account of the Life of Our Patron Saint

Saint Hyacinth was born into nobility in 1185 at the castle of Lanka at Kamień Śląski near Opole in Poland. Almost from the cradle, Hyacinth seemed predisposed to virtue. God blessed him with a splendid mind. His parents not only fostered his cheerful disposition, but also used great care in selecting the teachers that would protect this innocence. Because he was so well grounded in his religious duties, Hyacinth passed through his higher studies at Kraków, Prague, and Bologna without tarnish to his pure soul. Without a doubt, his model life had much to do in helping him to win the admiration of both his professors and fellow students. Upon completion of his studies at Bologna, Hyacinth earned the title of Doctor of Canon Law and Divinity before traveling to Rome with his uncle, Iwo Odrowąż, the Bishop of Kraków.

On his trip to Rome, Hyacinth met St. Dominic, from whom both he and his cousin, Czesław, received the habit of the newly established Order of Friars Preachers in 1220. Within a few months of receiving the habit, Hyacinth embarked on his first mission. St. Dominic sent him to preach and establish the Dominican Order in Poland.

On his way, Hyacinth established a Dominican priory in Friesach in Carinthia. In Poland, the new preachers were favorably received and their sermons produced a deep conversion in the people. Hyacinth founded communities at Sandomir, Kraków and at Plocko on the Vistula in Moravia. He extended his missionary work through Prussia, Pomerania, and Lithuania. Then, crossing the Baltic Sea, he preached in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Russia, reaching the shores of the Black Sea. It was through these apostolic travels that Hyacinth earned the title "The Apostle of the North."

Despite his many duties, Hyacinth did not allow them to interfere with his good works or dampen his spirit of prayer. He regularly visited hospitals and was a sympathetic comforter to the sick. He was a friend to the poor and distributed his income among them. He felt that money received through the Church could not be devoted to a better or more advantageous cause.

Saint Hyacinth is known to have performed numerous miracles. One miracle that has been associated with him occurred during the Tatar’s siege of the city of Kiev. Hyacinth went to the chapel to remove the Blessed Sacrament from the tabernacle and save it from sacrilegious attack and profanation. When he was about to leave the altar, hugging Jesus in the Eucharist close to his breast, he heard a voice coming from the statue of the Blessed Virgin asking him why he takes her Son, but he leaves her. Hyacinth was worried because the statue was very heavy, but Mary promised to make it very light so Hyacinth could carry it. Although the statue was made of heavy alabaster, Hyacinth took it in his arms and carried it away along with the ciborium with the Holy Eucharist. It is for this miraculous moment that Saint Hyacinth is most often depicted.

The story continues that Hyacinth and the community that accompanied him came to the river Dnieper. There, he urged them to follow him across the river. Hyacinth led the way, and they all walked dry shod across the waters of the deep river, which then protected them from the fury of the Tatars. A circumstance, which is recorded in connection with this miracle, renders it even more remarkable. It is said that the footprints of St. Hyacinth remained on the water, even after he had crossed the river; and that, when the stream was calm, they could be seen for centuries afterwards.

After unceasing labors and vast journeys, Hyacinth spent his last few months of life in a monastery that he had founded in Kraków. There, on the Feast of Saint Dominic in 1257, he fell sick with a fever that would lead to his death. Although worn out and weakened by illness and fever, he kept watch in the service of God by celebrating Mass on the Feast of the Assumption until his death. He was anointed at the foot of the altar on August 15, 1257, and died the same day.

St. Hyacinth was canonized in 1594 by Pope Clement VIII. His feast day is celebrated on August 17th.