It is interesting that this week, we celebrate two great saints with ties to the country of Poland. We celebrate the feast day of St Stanislaus Kostka tomorrow. He was a Jesuit novice from Poland who died at the young age of 17 in the year 1568. He was known for his devout faith and great piety in the face of opposition from his family. A legend about St Stanislaus states that when he was living with his brother and his brother would not allow a priest to visit him when he was gravely ill, two angels and St Barbara, to whom he had a great devotion, appeared to him with communion to help him get better. St Stanislaus Kostka parish in Chicago is quite famous, as the Kennedy expressway in the city was built around this historic church so that it would not have to be demolished. In fact, when I did a mission appeal at this parish, the pastor told me that at one point in the early 20th century, with so many Polish immigrants flocking to Chicago, St Stanislaus Kotska parish would have been one of the largest Catholic parishes in the world.
But today we celebrate St Josephat, who was born in the Lithuanian Polish common wealth in 1580, not long after St Stanislaus Kostka died. Having been ordained a priest in the Basilian religious congregation of monks, he was appointed Bishop of Vitebsk. This area of Europe was very much opposed to the Roman Catholic Church, instead aligning with the Orthodox faith. Nationalism and opposition to Roman control were two of the main reasons for this opposition. Josephat was a peacemaker who tried to rouse the faith of the people, with his efforts taking the form of clergy reforms, a new catechism, and opposing interference from the lords who were against the Roman Catholic faith. The Polish king backed Josephat and his reforms, but he was met with angry mobs who killed him and threw his body in the river. In one of his last statements he proclaimed: “I am here as your shepherd and happy to give my life for you.” The great Polish basilica in Milwaukee is named after St Josephat; it is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen.
As we commemorate St Josephat, a martyr for the faith, it seems appropriate to hear from the book of Wisdom, a reading that is commonly heard at Catholic funerals: “the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.” We give thanks for the courage and wisdom of St Josephat. We give thanks for his example of faith.
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