Hyacinth of Poland

Hyacinth(Polish:Święty JacekorJacek Odrowąż;c.1185– 15 August 1257) was a PolishDominicanpriestandmissionarywho worked to reform the women'smonasteriesin his nativePoland. Educated inParisandBologna, he was a Doctor of Sacred Studies.
Called the "Apostle of the North", Hyacinth was the son of Eustachius Koński of the noblefamily of Odrowąż. He was born in 1185 at the castle of Lanka, atKamień, inSilesia, Poland. A near relative ofCeslaus, he made his studies in notable cities:Kraków,Prague, andBologna, and at the latter place merited the title of Doctor of Law and Divinity. On his return toPolandhe was given a prebend atSandomierz, a medieval centre of administration in thesouth-eastern part of the country. He subsequently accompanied his uncleIvo Konski, theBishop of Kraków, to Rome.
While inRome, he witnessed a miracle performed byDominic of Osma, and became aDominicanfriar, along withCeslausand two attendants of the Bishop of Kraków, Herman and Henry. In 1219PopeHonorius IIIinvited Dominic and his followers to take up residence at the ancient RomanbasilicaofSanta Sabina, which they did by early 1220. Before that time, the friars had only a temporary residence in Rome at theconventofSan Sisto Vecchiowhich Honorius III had given to Dominic in about 1218, intending it to be used for a reformation of Romannunsunder Dominic's guidance.  Hyacinth and his companions were among the first to enter the convent. They were also the firstalumni of thestudiumof theDominican OrderatSanta Sabinaout of which would grow the 16th century College of Saint Thomas atSanta Maria sopra Minerva, which became thePontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinasin the 20th century.  After an abbreviatednovitiate, Hyacinth and his companions received thereligious habitof the Order from Dominic himself in 1220.
The young friars were then sent back to their homeland to establish the Dominican Order inPolandandKyiv. As Hyacinth and his three companions traveled back to Kraków, he set up new monasteries with his companions as superiors, until finally he was the only one left to continue on to Kraków. Hyacinth went throughoutNorthern Europespreading the faith. He died in the year 1257.Tradition holds that he alsoevangelizedthroughoutSweden,Norway,Denmark,Prussia,Scotland,Russia,Turkey, andGreece. However, these travels are heavily disputed and are not supported by the earliesthagiographiesof Hyacinth.
One of the major miracles attributed to Hyacinth came about during the 1240Siege of Kiev. As the friars prepared to flee the invading forces, Hyacinth went to save theciboriumcontaining theEucharistfrom thetabernaclein the monastery's chapel, when he heard the voice ofMary, asking him to take her, too.
Hyacinth lifted the large, stone statue of Mary, as well as the ciborium. He was easily able to carry both, even though the statue weighed far more than he could normally lift. Thus, he saved them both. For this reason, he is usually shown holding amonstrance(though they did not come into use until several centuries later)and a statue of Mary.
ThePolishexclamationŚwięty Jacku zpierogami!("St. Hyacinth with his dumplings!") is an old-time saying, a call for help in some hopeless circumstance.It has derived from two legends. One of them is about his visit on July 13, 1238, toKościelec. During his visit, a hailstorm broke out, destroying crops and leaving people with the prospect of famine. Hyacinth told them to pray. The next day, the crops were miraculously restored. The people then treated Hyacinth to pierogi made from those crops as a token of gratitude. The second legend mentions Hyacinth feeding people with pierogi during a famine caused by theMongol invasion of 1241.
The tomb of Hyacinth is in theBasilica of the Holy TrinityinKraków, Poland, in a chapel that is dedicated to him.
Hyacinth wascanonizedon 17 April 1594 byPope Clement VIII,and his feast is celebrated on 17 August. In 1686Pope Innocent XInamed him a patron ofLithuania. He is thepatron saintof those in danger of drowning and weight lifting.
Among notable churches in North America dedicated to Hyacinth of Poland is theBasilica of St. HyacinthinChicago, Illinois.
Kraków's annual Pierogi Festival is held on St. Hyacinth's feast day, and the winner receives a statuette of him.