Stanislaus Kostka
Encyclopedia
Stanisław Kostka S.J. was a Polish
novice
of the Society of Jesus
. In the Catholic Church
as Saint Stanislaus Kostka.
He was born at Rostkowo, Przasnysz County
, Poland
, on 28 October 1550; died at Rome
during the night of 14–15 August 1568. He entered the Society of Jesus
in Rome
on his 17th birthday (28 October 1567), and is said to have foretold his death a few days before it occurred.
and Lord of Zakroczym
; his mother was Małgorzata Kryska from Drobni (Margaret de Drobniy Kryska), the sister and niece of the Dukes of Masovia and the aunt of the celebrated Chancellor of Poland
, Feliks Kryski
(Felix Kryski)(Szczęsny Kryski). He was the second of seven children. His older brother Paweł Kostka (Paul Kostka) survived to be present at beatification
ceremony of Stanislaus in 1605. At home, the two brothers were taught with firmness, even severity; its results were their piety, modesty, temperance, and submission.
with their tutor to attend the Jesuit college that had been opened four years before. Stanislaus was soon conspicuous, among his classmates during his 3 years of schooling, not only for his amiability and cheerfulness of expression, but also for his growing religious fervour and piety. His brother Paul said during the process of beatification: "He devoted himself so completely to spiritual things that he frequently became unconscious, especially in the church of the Jesuit Fathers at Vienna. It is true," added the witness, "that this had happened at home to my brother at Easter when he was seated at table with our parents and other persons." Among other practices of devotion he joined while at Vienna the Congregation of St. Barbara, to which many students of the Jesuit college belonged. If the confidences he then made to his tutor and later to a fellow-member of the Society at Rome are to be believed, it was Saint Barbara who brought two angels to him during the course of a serious illness, in order to give him the Eucharist
. So much piety, however, did not please the older brother Paul; his exasperation led him to treat the innocent Stanislaus with violence. Stanislaus suffered the unjust treatment with remarkable stoicism and patience, but there came one night when, after having again suffered the harsh comments and blows from his brother, he turned on Paul with the words: "Your rough treatment will end in my going away never to return, and you will have to explain my leaving to our father and mother." Paul's sole reply was to swear violently at him.
On the morning of the day on which he was to carry out his project he called his servant to him early and told him to notify his brother Paul and his tutor in the course of the morning that he would not be back that day to dinner. Then he started, exchanging the dress of gentleman for that of a mendicant
, which was the only way to escape the curiosity of those he met. By nightfall Paul and the tutor comprehended that Stanislaus had fled as he had threatened. They were seized with a fierce anger, and as the day was ended the fugitive had gained a day over them. They started to follow him, but were not able to overtake him; either their exhausted horses refused to go further, or a wheel of their carriage would break, or, as the tutor frankly declared, they had mistaken the route, having left the city by a different road from the one which Stanislaus had taken. It is noticeable that in his testimony Paul gives no explanation of his ill-luck.
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Stanislaus stayed for a month at Dillingen, where the provincial of that time, the Saint Peter Canisius, put the young aspirant's vocation to the test by employing him in the boarding-school. He arrived 25 October 1567 in Rome. As he was greatly exhausted by the journey, the general of the order, St. Francis Borgia
, would not permit him to enter the novitiate of Saint Andrew
until several days later. During the ten remaining months of his life, according the testimony of the master of novices, Father 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 his chest that he was often obliged to apply cold compresses.
ratified his beatification
in 1605; he was canonized on 31 December 1726. St. Stanislaus is a popular saint of Poland and many religious institutions have chosen him as the protector of their novitiates. The representations of him in art are very varied; he is sometimes depicted receiving Holy Communion from the hands of angels; sometimes receiving the Infant Jesus from the hands of the Virgin; or he is shown in the midst of a battle putting to flight the enemies of his country. At times he is depicted near a fountain putting a wet linen
cloth on his breast. He is invoked for palpitations of the heart and for dangerous cases of illness (Cahier, "Caractéristiques des Saints").
, a fact that is not noticeable in his other portraits. Pierre Le Gros the Younger
also portrayed him as a statue.
) of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
in Houston, Texas. A statue of his image was erected and is located in front of the Parsley Center, which houses an auditorium and music facilities. In 2008 St. John's Jesuit of Toledo, Ohio adopted a house system to their High School: there are eight houses all named after Jesuit Saints, one of them being Kostka.
St. Stanislaus High School
in Bandra, Bombay is named after him and was founded in 1863/ The school is run by Jesuits.
The high school campus of the Ateneo de Manila University
has a St. Stanislaus Kostka chapel, noticeably at the center of the compound. St. Kostka is also the patron saint of the Ateneo de Manila High School. The grade school campus also has a section in the seventh grade after him. As for the Ateneo de Davao University
, the grade school chapel, adorned with stained glass depictions of the life of Jesus Christ, was named after him.
A school was named after him, it was Kostka School of Marikina located at Marikina Heights, Marikina City and Kostka School of Katipunan located at Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City in front of Ateneo de Manila University. St. Stanislaus Kostka is the patron saint of the attendees of Oblates of Saint Joseph Minor Seminary (a high school-level seminary in San Jose, Batangas, Philippines), as well as Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte Philippines.
One of the junior campuses of the Jesuit school Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia, is named Kostka Hall; Boston College
also has named one of their freshman dorms Kostka Hall.
Beaumont College
, formerly a public school
in Berkshire, was dedicated to St Stanislaus. Saint Stanisław Kostka is also the patron saint of The Polish Saturday School in Manchester, Lancashire - http://www.polishschool.org.uk - which was founded in 1949 by the Manchester Polish Ex-Combatants Association and which supports the school to this day.
The Polish name of the school is Polska Szkoła Przedmiotów Ojczystych im św Stanisława Kostki w Manchesterze.
St. Stanislaus High and Junior School in Gdynia is an independent private school located in Gdynia, 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...
novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. In the Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
as Saint Stanislaus Kostka.
He was born at Rostkowo, Przasnysz County
Rostkowo, Przasnysz County
Rostkowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Czernice Borowe, within Przasnysz County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Czernice Borowe, west of Przasnysz, and north of Warsaw....
, 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...
, on 28 October 1550; died at 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...
during the night of 14–15 August 1568. He entered the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
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...
on his 17th birthday (28 October 1567), and is said to have foretold his death a few days before it occurred.
Family
His father, Jan (John) Kostka, was a senator of the Kingdom of PolandKingdom of Poland (1385–1569)
The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...
and Lord of Zakroczym
Zakroczym
Zakroczym is a small town in the Masovian Voivodeship, Poland. It is located at around . The Vistula River flows through the town....
; his mother was Małgorzata Kryska from Drobni (Margaret de Drobniy Kryska), the sister and niece of the Dukes of Masovia and the aunt of the celebrated Chancellor of Poland
Kanclerz
Kanclerz was one of the highest officials in the historic Poland. This office functioned from the early Polish kingdom of the 12th century until the end of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. A respective office also existed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since the 16th...
, Feliks Kryski
Feliks Kryski
Feliks Szczęsny Kryski was the Polish nobleman, politician, writer, and orator. He was Grand Chancellor of Poland from 1613 until his death.-Biography:...
(Felix Kryski)(Szczęsny Kryski). He was the second of seven children. His older brother Paweł Kostka (Paul Kostka) survived to be present at beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
ceremony of Stanislaus in 1605. At home, the two brothers were taught with firmness, even severity; its results were their piety, modesty, temperance, and submission.
School life
In 25 July of 1564, they arrived at ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
with their tutor to attend the Jesuit college that had been opened four years before. Stanislaus was soon conspicuous, among his classmates during his 3 years of schooling, not only for his amiability and cheerfulness of expression, but also for his growing religious fervour and piety. His brother Paul said during the process of beatification: "He devoted himself so completely to spiritual things that he frequently became unconscious, especially in the church of the Jesuit Fathers at Vienna. It is true," added the witness, "that this had happened at home to my brother at Easter when he was seated at table with our parents and other persons." Among other practices of devotion he joined while at Vienna the Congregation of St. Barbara, to which many students of the Jesuit college belonged. If the confidences he then made to his tutor and later to a fellow-member of the Society at Rome are to be believed, it was Saint Barbara who brought two angels to him during the course of a serious illness, in order to give him the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. So much piety, however, did not please the older brother Paul; his exasperation led him to treat the innocent Stanislaus with violence. Stanislaus suffered the unjust treatment with remarkable stoicism and patience, but there came one night when, after having again suffered the harsh comments and blows from his brother, he turned on Paul with the words: "Your rough treatment will end in my going away never to return, and you will have to explain my leaving to our father and mother." Paul's sole reply was to swear violently at him.
Entry into the Society of Jesus
Meantime the thought of joining the Society of Jesus had already entered his mind. It was six months, however, before he ventured to speak of this to the superiors of the Society. At Vienna they hesitated to receive him, fearing the tempest that would probably be raised by his father against the Society, which had just quieted a storm unleashed by others entering the Order. Stanislaus quickly grasped the situation and formed the plan of applying to the general of the Society at Rome. The distance was five hundred leagues, which had to be made on foot, without equipment, or guide, or any other resources but the precarious charity that might be received on the road. The prospective dangers and humiliations of such a journey, however, did not deter him.On the morning of the day on which he was to carry out his project he called his servant to him early and told him to notify his brother Paul and his tutor in the course of the morning that he would not be back that day to dinner. Then he started, exchanging the dress of gentleman for that of a mendicant
Mendicant
The term mendicant refers to begging or relying on charitable donations, and is most widely used for religious followers or ascetics who rely exclusively on charity to survive....
, which was the only way to escape the curiosity of those he met. By nightfall Paul and the tutor comprehended that Stanislaus had fled as he had threatened. They were seized with a fierce anger, and as the day was ended the fugitive had gained a day over them. They started to follow him, but were not able to overtake him; either their exhausted horses refused to go further, or a wheel of their carriage would break, or, as the tutor frankly declared, they had mistaken the route, having left the city by a different road from the one which Stanislaus had taken. It is noticeable that in his testimony Paul gives no explanation of his ill-luck.
Francis Borgia
Saint Francis Borgia, 4th duke of Gandía, 3rd Father General of the Jesuit Order, Grandee of Spain, was a Spanish Jesuit and third Superior General of the Society of Jesus. He was canonized on 20 June 1670.-Early life:He was born Francesco Borgia de Candia d'Aragon within the Duchy of Gandía,...
, would not permit him to enter the novitiate of Saint Andrew
Sant'Andrea al Quirinale
The Church of Saint Andrew's at the Quirinal is a Roman Catholic titular church in Rome, built for of the Jesuit seminary on the Quirinal Hill....
until several days later. During the ten remaining months of his life, according the testimony of the master of novices, Father 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 his chest that he was often obliged to apply cold compresses.
Death
On the eve of the feast of St. 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. His confidence in the Blessed Virgin, which had already brought him many signal favours, was this time again rewarded; on 15 August, towards four in the morning, while he was rapt in pious utterances to God, to the saints, and to the Virgin Mary, he died. The entire city proclaimed him a saint and people hastened from all parts to venerate his remains and to obtain, if possible, some relics.Sainthood
The Holy SeeHoly See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
ratified his beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
in 1605; he was canonized on 31 December 1726. St. Stanislaus is a popular saint of Poland and many religious institutions have chosen him as the protector of their novitiates. The representations of him in art are very varied; he is sometimes depicted receiving Holy Communion from the hands of angels; sometimes receiving the Infant Jesus from the hands of the Virgin; or he is shown in the midst of a battle putting to flight the enemies of his country. At times he is depicted near a fountain putting a wet linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
cloth on his breast. He is invoked for palpitations of the heart and for dangerous cases of illness (Cahier, "Caractéristiques des Saints").
Artwork
There is a portrait by Scipione Delfine and the oldest of St. Stanislaus in existence. Having probably been painted at Rome the year of his death, perhaps after death, it may be regarded as the best likeness. The face is strikingly SlavicSlavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
, a fact that is not noticeable in his other portraits. Pierre Le Gros the Younger
Pierre Le Gros the Younger
Pierre Le Gros was a French sculptor, active almost exclusively in Baroque Rome. Nowadays, his name is commonly written Legros, while he himself always signed as Le Gros; he is frequently referred to either as 'the Younger' or 'Pierre II' to distinguish him from his father, Pierre Le Gros the...
also portrayed him as a statue.
Dedications
Saint Stanislaus College in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, a Catholic day and residential school for boys in grades 7 to 12, founded in 1854 and chartered in 1870 as Saint Stanislaus College. The novitiate of the Missouri and New Orleans Provinces of the Society of Jesus—The Jesuit novitiate of St Stanislaus Kostka at St Charles College—located in Grand Coteau, Louisiana is dedicated under his patronage. St. Stanislaus is also a co-patron saint (along with Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of JesusSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
) of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
Strake Jesuit College Preparatory is an all-men's Jesuit, university-preparatory school for grades 9-12 in the Greater Sharpstown area of Houston, Texas. It is located in proximity to Alief....
in Houston, Texas. A statue of his image was erected and is located in front of the Parsley Center, which houses an auditorium and music facilities. In 2008 St. John's Jesuit of Toledo, Ohio adopted a house system to their High School: there are eight houses all named after Jesuit Saints, one of them being Kostka.
St. Stanislaus High School
St. Stanislaus High School
St. Stanislaus High School is an all-boys school located in the Mumbai, India, suburb of Bandra run by the Society of Jesus.The school, founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, started as an orphanage and later grew to be a full-fledged educational institution for day-scholars as well as boarders...
in Bandra, Bombay is named after him and was founded in 1863/ The school is run by Jesuits.
The high school campus of the Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
has a St. Stanislaus Kostka chapel, noticeably at the center of the compound. St. Kostka is also the patron saint of the Ateneo de Manila High School. The grade school campus also has a section in the seventh grade after him. As for the Ateneo de Davao University
Ateneo de Davao University
The Ateneo de Davao University is a private and research Catholic university administered by the Society of Jesus in Southern Mindanao in the Philippines. It was established in 1948...
, the grade school chapel, adorned with stained glass depictions of the life of Jesus Christ, was named after him.
A school was named after him, it was Kostka School of Marikina located at Marikina Heights, Marikina City and Kostka School of Katipunan located at Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City in front of Ateneo de Manila University. St. Stanislaus Kostka is the patron saint of the attendees of Oblates of Saint Joseph Minor Seminary (a high school-level seminary in San Jose, Batangas, Philippines), as well as Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte Philippines.
One of the junior campuses of the Jesuit school Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia, is named Kostka Hall; Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
also has named one of their freshman dorms Kostka Hall.
Beaumont College
Beaumont College
Beaumont College was a Jesuit public school in Old Windsor, Berkshire, England. In 1967 the school closed. The property became a conference centre, and from 2008 an hotel.-History of the estate:...
, formerly a public school
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
in Berkshire, was dedicated to St Stanislaus. Saint Stanisław Kostka is also the patron saint of The Polish Saturday School in Manchester, Lancashire - http://www.polishschool.org.uk - which was founded in 1949 by the Manchester Polish Ex-Combatants Association and which supports the school to this day.
The Polish name of the school is Polska Szkoła Przedmiotów Ojczystych im św Stanisława Kostki w Manchesterze.
St. Stanislaus High and Junior School in Gdynia is an independent private school located in Gdynia, Poland.