St. Stanislaus of Cracow

Stanislaus was born to the Polish nobility, son of Belislaus and Bogna, and raised in a pious family. He was Educated at Gnesen, Poland, and may have studied at Paris, France. When his parents died, Stanislaus distributed his inheritance to the poor. His first ministry was as a parish priest at Czembocz, Poland. He moved on and became a Canon and preacher, and later vicar-general at the Cracow cathedral; he was a noted spiritual director. He reluctantly accepted the See of Cracow in 1072. He was known for his preaching against sinful living, regardless of the sinner's class. He was killed by King Boleslaus the Cruel after Stanislaus excommunicated him due to his war crimes and attempted theft of land from the Church. He was murdered while celebrating Mass. The reaction against Boleslaus was so great that he fled the country, never to return; his guilt led him to become a monk. Stanislaus became a symbol of Polish patriotism and nationalism, and is sometimes considered a martyr. His memorial is celebrated on April 11.