Saint Stanislaus Kostka

Feast day : 13 November

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Stanislaus Kostka, a young Polish novice of the Society of Jesus. He lived during the period 1550-1568 and died at a young age of 17 years. His short life was marked with extraordinary holiness and spiritual favours. He is believed to have seen the Blessed Virgin in a vision in which she advised him to join the Society of Jesus. On another occasion when he was seriously ill, Saint Barbara appeared to him surrounded by angels and gave him Holy Communion. The extraordinary events continued even after his death. Two years after his death, when his body was exhumed, it was found to be incorrupt and emitting a sweet heavenly fragrance. He was canonized in 1726.

Early life:
Saint Stanislaus was born in Rostkowo, Przasnysz County, Poland as the second child of the seven children of a noble family. His father was a senator of the Kingdom of Poland and Lord of Zakroczym and his mother was of a noble lineage too. At the age of 14, he and his elder brother Paul enrolled in the Jesuit College in Vienna where his desire for holiness intensified and his penances and prayers led him to experiencing many spiritual favours. Whilst his pious life was inspiring to the others, it irked his elder brother who often ill-treated him on this account. Stanislaus suffered all the unjust treatment with patience.

Once when he was seriously ill, he received Holy Communion from St. Barbara, the patroness of his sodality at school who appeared to him surrounded by angels. On another occasion, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and advised him to join the Society of Jesus. However, he encountered great difficulties in joining the Society of Jesus. In Vienna, the Jesuit Superior was reluctant to accept him fearing possible violent reactions from his father who was influential. In Germany, where he again applied, he met St. Peter Canisius, the German Provincial of the Order who advised him to enter the novitiate at Rome, which was then governed by St. Francis Borgia. Stanislaus made a plan of applying to the Society at Rome. The distance was five hundred leagues on foot but the possible dangers of such a journey did not diminish his strong will. He undertook the exhaustive journey and arrived in Rome on 25 October 1567. He entered into novitiate a few days later. The next ten months, which were the last months of his life, he spent in practicing great virtue and he impressed all with his saintly demeanor. According to the testimony given by the master of novices Rev. Fr. Giulio Fazio, “he was a model and mirror of religious perfection. Notwithstanding his very delicate constitution he did not spare himself the slightest penance. He had such a burning fever in his chest that he was often obliged to apply cold compresses. “

Death and Canonization::
On the evening of the feast of Saint Lawrence , Stanislaus felt a mortal weakness, made worse by a high fever, and clearly saw that his last hour had come. He wrote a letter to the Blessed Virgin begging her to call him to the skies there to celebrate with her the glorious anniversary of her Assumption (15 August). His confidence in the Blessed Virgin, which had already brought him many favours, was this time again rewarded. On 15 August, towards 4:00 in the morning, while he prayed to God, to the saints, and to the Virgin Mary, he died. Many in the city proclaimed him a saint and people hastened from all parts to venerate his remains and to obtain, if possible, some relics.

Two years after his death, permission was given for the exhumation of his remains in order to give one of the bones to a house of the Order that earnestly pleaded for such a relic. At the opening of the grave, which had been closed for more than two years, a sweet fragrance filled the air when the coffin was uncovered. The fragrance was exquisite and sweet penetrating both the soul and the senses of all those present. It was evident that it was a signal from Heaven of the holiness of this great soul. When the lid was removed, they found the entire body of Saint Stanislaus totally incorrupt and intact!! He had the same smile on his face when he was laid to rest and those gathered decided not to dismember his holy body that God had preserved and prevented death from disfiguring. A few years later again when they opened the coffin, the body had reduced in a normal manner and the bones were taken out and enveloped in silk and placed in a leaden coffin in the novitiate church. They remain today, except for a large part of the cranium that is in the chapel of a Jesuit house in Feldkirch, Germany, enclosed in a beautifully decorated marble urn in the chapel dedicated to the Saint in the Church of St. Andrea al Quirinale in Rome.

He was canonised in 1726. He is regarded as the patron saint of Jesuit novices, students, youth and Poland.