Saint Hyacinth
Encyclopedia
Saint Hyacinth, O.P.
, ( or Jacek Odrowąż) (b. ca. 1185 in Kamień Śląski
(Ger. Groß Stein) near Opole
(Ger. Oppeln), Upper Silesia
– d. August 15, 1257, in Kraków
, Poland
of natural causes) was educated in Paris
and Bologna
. A Doctor of Sacred Studies and a secular priest, he worked to reform women's monasteries in his native Poland
. While in Rome
, he witnessed a miracle performed by Saint Dominic
, and became a Dominican
friar
, along with the Blessed Ceslaus, both entering the Order at the Basilica
of Santa Sabina
and receiving the religious habit
of the Order from St. Dominic himself. The two young friars were then sent back to their homeland to establish the Dominican Order in Poland and Kiev. Tradition holds that he also evangelized throughout Sweden
, Norway
, Denmark
, Scotland
, Russia
, Turkey
, and Greece
. However, these travels are heavily disputed and are not supported by the earliest lives of St. Hyacinth.
One of his miracles is connected with the Tartarian attack on a monastery in Kiev
. Hyacinth was about to save a monstrance
(or possibly a ciborium, it is unknown exactly which one) containing the Blessed Sacrament when he heard the voice of the Blessed Virgin Mary asking him to take her too. So he decided to take also the statue of the Holy Virgin. Despite the fact that it weighed far more than he could normally lift, it became miraculously weightless. Thus he saved both the Blessed Sacrament and the statue of Our Lady. For that reason the saint is usually shown holding these two items.
A close relative of Hyacinth was the Blessed Ceslaus
, who may have been his brother and who accompanied Hyacinth as the first members of the Dominican Order from their nation. He was canonized on April 17, 1594, by Pope Clement VIII
, and his memorial day is celebrated on August 17. In 1686 Pope Innocent XI
named him a patron of Lithuania
.
In Spanish-language countries, Hyacinth is known as San Jacinto
, which is the name of numerous towns and locations in Spanish-speaking countries, and of two battles fought in two of these locations.
He is the patron saint
of St. Hyacinth's Basilica
, in Chicago
, Illinois
, and of those in danger of drowning
.
He is also the patron saint of the Ermita de Piedra de San Jacinto in the Philippine
city of [Tuguegarao]], where his feast day is celebrated with a procession
and folk dance
contests. A town called Camalaniugan in the Philippines is also under the said saint's patronage.
The town church dedicated to San Jacinto or Saint Hyacinth is home to the oldest church bell
(the Sancta Maria 1595) in the Far East.
Biography
In 1220, St. Hyacinth became a Dominican friar with three others - a relative, Ceslaus, and two attendants of the Bishop of Cracow - Herman and Henry. As Hyacinth, the "father" of his other three companions traveled back to Cracow with Ceslaus, Herman, and Henry, he set up new monasteries. Some of his companions were chosen to be superiors for the new monasteries by Hyacinth, until Hyacinth was the only one left. Still, he continued on to Cracow.
Hyacinth went throughout northern Europe, spreading the Faith. He died in the year 1257.
We might add that "pierogi
" is probably the only Polish dish that seems to have its own patron saint. "Swiety Jacek z pierogami!" , (St. Hyacinth
and his pierogi!) is an old expression of surprise, roughly equivalent to the Amarican "good grief" or "holy smokes!". Nobody seems to know what the connection between these dumplings and the saintly 13th-century monk was all about.
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, ( or Jacek Odrowąż) (b. ca. 1185 in Kamień Śląski
Kamien, Lwówek Slaski County
Kamień is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Mirsk, within Lwówek Śląski County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, close to the Czech border. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany....
(Ger. Groß Stein) near Opole
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
(Ger. Oppeln), Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
– d. August 15, 1257, in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
of natural causes) was educated in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
. A Doctor of Sacred Studies and a secular priest, he worked to reform women's monasteries in his native Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. While in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, he witnessed a miracle performed by Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic
Saint Dominic , also known as Dominic of Osma, often called Dominic de Guzmán and Domingo Félix de Guzmán was the founder of the Friars Preachers, popularly called the Dominicans or Order of Preachers , a Catholic religious order...
, and became a Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
, along with the Blessed Ceslaus, both entering the Order at the Basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
of Santa Sabina
Santa Sabina
The Basilica of Saint Sabina at the Aventine is a titular minor basilica and mother church of the Roman Catholic Dominican order in Rome, Italy. Santa Sabina lies high on the Aventine Hill, beside the Tiber, close to the headquarters of theKnights of Malta....
and receiving the religious habit
Religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
of the Order from St. Dominic himself. The two young friars were then sent back to their homeland to establish the Dominican Order in Poland and Kiev. Tradition holds that he also evangelized throughout Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. However, these travels are heavily disputed and are not supported by the earliest lives of St. Hyacinth.
One of his miracles is connected with the Tartarian attack on a monastery in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
. Hyacinth was about to save a monstrance
Monstrance
A monstrance is the vessel used in the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, and Anglican churches to display the consecrated Eucharistic host, during Eucharistic adoration or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Created in the medieval period for the public display of relics, the monstrance today is...
(or possibly a ciborium, it is unknown exactly which one) containing the Blessed Sacrament when he heard the voice of the Blessed Virgin Mary asking him to take her too. So he decided to take also the statue of the Holy Virgin. Despite the fact that it weighed far more than he could normally lift, it became miraculously weightless. Thus he saved both the Blessed Sacrament and the statue of Our Lady. For that reason the saint is usually shown holding these two items.
A close relative of Hyacinth was the Blessed Ceslaus
Ceslaus
Blessed Ceslaus, O.P., was born in Kamień Śląski in Silesia, Poland, of the noble family of Odrowąż, and was a relative, possibly the brother, of Saint Hyacinth...
, who may have been his brother and who accompanied Hyacinth as the first members of the Dominican Order from their nation. He was canonized on April 17, 1594, by Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII
Pope Clement VIII , born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was Pope from 30 January 1592 to 3 March 1605.-Cardinal:...
, and his memorial day is celebrated on August 17. In 1686 Pope Innocent XI
Pope Innocent XI
Blessed Pope Innocent XI , born Benedetto Odescalchi, was Pope from 1676 to 1689.-Early life:Benedetto Odescalchi was born at Como in 1611 , the son of a Como nobleman, Livio Odescalchi, and Paola Castelli Giovanelli from Gandino...
named him a patron of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
.
In Spanish-language countries, Hyacinth is known as San Jacinto
San Jacinto
San Jacinto is Spanish for Saint Hyacinth; as a place name, it may refer to:* San Jacinto, Bolívar, Colombia* San Jacinto, Chiquimula, Guatemala* San Jacinto, Comondú, Mexico* San Jacinto, Lerdo, Mexico* San Jacinto, Ancash Region, Peru...
, which is the name of numerous towns and locations in Spanish-speaking countries, and of two battles fought in two of these locations.
He is the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of St. Hyacinth's Basilica
Basilica of St. Hyacinth
St. Hyacinth Basilica, formally the Basilica of St. Hyacinth, - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois....
, in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and of those in danger of drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
.
He is also the patron saint of the Ermita de Piedra de San Jacinto in the Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
city of [Tuguegarao]], where his feast day is celebrated with a procession
Procession
A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...
and folk dance
Folk dance
The term folk dance describes dances that share some or all of the following attributes:*They are dances performed at social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music or music based on traditional music....
contests. A town called Camalaniugan in the Philippines is also under the said saint's patronage.
The town church dedicated to San Jacinto or Saint Hyacinth is home to the oldest church bell
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
(the Sancta Maria 1595) in the Far East.
Biography
In 1220, St. Hyacinth became a Dominican friar with three others - a relative, Ceslaus, and two attendants of the Bishop of Cracow - Herman and Henry. As Hyacinth, the "father" of his other three companions traveled back to Cracow with Ceslaus, Herman, and Henry, he set up new monasteries. Some of his companions were chosen to be superiors for the new monasteries by Hyacinth, until Hyacinth was the only one left. Still, he continued on to Cracow.
Hyacinth went throughout northern Europe, spreading the Faith. He died in the year 1257.
See also
- St. Hyacinth Basilica
- San JacintoSan JacintoSan Jacinto is Spanish for Saint Hyacinth; as a place name, it may refer to:* San Jacinto, Bolívar, Colombia* San Jacinto, Chiquimula, Guatemala* San Jacinto, Comondú, Mexico* San Jacinto, Lerdo, Mexico* San Jacinto, Ancash Region, Peru...
- Saint-Hyacinthe, QuebecSaint-Hyacinthe, QuebecSaint-Hyacinthe is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 55,823. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River which flows...
We might add that "pierogi
Pierogi
Pierogi are dumplings of unleavened dough - first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions - traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit...
" is probably the only Polish dish that seems to have its own patron saint. "Swiety Jacek z pierogami!" , (St. Hyacinth
Saint Hyacinth
Saint Hyacinth, O.P., was educated in Paris and Bologna. A Doctor of Sacred Studies and a secular priest, he worked to reform women's monasteries in his native Poland...
and his pierogi!) is an old expression of surprise, roughly equivalent to the Amarican "good grief" or "holy smokes!". Nobody seems to know what the connection between these dumplings and the saintly 13th-century monk was all about.