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Stanislaw KostkaHoly Roman Catholic Church
Date of Birth: 28.10.1550
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- The Life of Saint Stanislaus Kostka
- Miraculous Healing and Call to Holiness
- Joining the Jesuits
- Death and Sainthood
- Devotion and Significance
The Life of Saint Stanislaus Kostka
Early Life and EducationSaint Stanislaus Kostka, a son of Polish nobility, was born to a senatorial family. Until the age of 12, he received his education at home. At 14, he and his older brother, Paul, were sent to a Jesuit college in Vienna. However, the college was soon closed by order of Emperor Maximilian II of Austria, forcing Stanislaus to reside in the home of a Lutheran named Kinderberg.
Miraculous Healing and Call to Holiness
In 1565, Stanislaus fell seriously ill. Kinderberg refused to allow a Catholic priest to administer the Eucharist to him. That night, Saint Barbara appeared to Stanislaus with two angels, bringing him the Eucharist. Later that night, the Blessed Virgin Mary herself appeared with the Infant Jesus, covering Stanislaus with her mantle. Upon waking the next morning, Stanislaus found himself miraculously healed and resolved to join the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
Joining the Jesuits
In 1567, against his brother's wishes, Stanislaus fled his home and traveled on foot to the Jesuit center in Germany. He was then sent to Rome by Peter Canisius and accepted into the Jesuit novitiate by Francis Borgia on October 28, 1567. Despite his father's threats and attempts to discourage him, Stanislaus took his monastic vows at the age of 18.
Death and Sainthood
On August 10, 1568, nine months after entering the novitiate, Stanislaus fell ill with malaria. He died five days later, on August 15, 1568. His brother, Paul, who had come to Rome to retrieve him, found him lifeless upon his arrival.
Two years later, upon opening Stanislaus's tomb, his body was discovered to be incorrupt. He was beatified by Pope Clement X in 1670 and canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. His relics now rest in the Church of Sant'Andrea al Quirinale in Rome, Italy.
Devotion and Significance
Stanislaus Kostka is widely venerated in Poland, becoming one of its youngest patron saints. His devotion emphasizes the sanctity of ordinary life, focusing on a young man who lived unspectacularly but attained holiness through his everyday actions. In iconography, he is depicted receiving the Eucharist from an angel or Saint Barbara. His feast day in the Catholic Church is August 15.
