The Apostle of the Pinsk area, at his instigation, King John Casimir proclaimed Our Girl Queen of Poland – writes Fr. Arkadiusz Nocoń in a column for the portal www.vaticannews.va/pl and Vatican Radio. On Could 16 we rejoice the feast of St. Andrzej Boboli (1591-1657), priest and martyr, since 2002, secondary Patron Saint of Poland. He was beatified by Pope Pius IX and canonized by Pius XI. His relics are within the Jesuit church in Warsaw.
Andrzej Bobola was born on November 30, 1591 in Strachocin close to Sanok right into a noble household. In 1611 he joined the Society of Jesus in Vilnius, the place he studied philosophy and theology. From the notes of his superiors, we study that as a younger man he had a tough and impulsive character, however because of persistent work on himself, he grew to become the embodiment of kindness and gentleness.
Ordained a priest (1622), he labored in Nieśwież, Vilnius, Warsaw and different cities. He was recognized in all places as an impressed preacher and a zealous pastor who not solely boldly preached the Catholic religion, but additionally helped the sick and the poor. Completely dedicated to God and Mary (it was below his affect that King John Casimir proclaimed Our Girl Queen of Poland), within the final interval of his life he acted as a missionary within the neighborhood of Pinsk. By means of his educating, prayer and penance (he most frequently ate bread and water), he managed to win many souls for the Catholic Church there. For that reason, already throughout his life he was referred to as ‘duszochwat’, i.e. ‘hunter of souls’, and ‘apostle of the Pinsk area’.
From the encyclical ‘Invicti athletæ Christi’ by Pope Pius XII, revealed on the event of the three hundredth anniversary of the demise of Saint. Andrzej Bobola: ‘His life shone with the splendor of true religion. He burned with nice love for God and neighbor. Every time he might, he spent lengthy hours earlier than the Blessed Sacrament and supported each want and wish as finest he might. It’s no surprise that this fighter of Christ, distinguished by such non secular qualities, achieved a lot and that his apostolic work introduced so many saving fruits. He spared no effort in preaching the true religion, he lived this religion himself and sacrificed his life for it. The reminiscence of the merciless struggling endured by the Polish martyr, fearless in religion, could also be terrifying, and his testimony is among the many noblest amongst these praised by the Church.
Certainly, Andrzej Bobola’s apostolic successes aroused the hatred of dissenters in the direction of him. We find out how nice it was from the outline of his martyrdom. On Could 16, 1657, Cossacks fell into Janów Poleski, the place he was staying. He didn’t run away from them, though his pals ready a hiding place for him within the forest. First, his cassock was torn off, after which he was tied to a pole and whipped, making an attempt to pressure him to resign his Roman faith. ‘I’m a Catholic priest – he replied – I used to be born within the Catholic religion and I need to die on this religion.’ His enamel have been knocked out, his fingernails have been pulled out, and a crown was woven from willow branches, modeled on Christ’s. ‘I’m a Catholic priest…’ he repeated. He was dragged to the slaughterhouse and stretched out on a desk: a chasuble was reduce from his again with a knife, a tonsure was reduce from his head, and chaff was sprinkled on his bleeding wounds. Unable to bear his cries of “Jesus”, “Jesus”, they reduce off his tongue, lips and nostril and hung him the other way up, mocking him on a regular basis. Regardless of the torture, he was nonetheless alive, as if calling for repentance. In useless. His convulsing physique was lastly lowered to the bottom and his torment was ended by slicing his throat.
As tragic as Andrzej Bobola’s life was the destiny of his relics, which, regardless of the passage of centuries, have been preserved in good situation. In 1922, after opening the coffin, the Bolsheviks first tore off the martyr’s chasuble after which hit it on the bottom, satisfied that it will crumble. It didn’t crumble, and its cult grew to become even stronger. So it was determined to destroy the relics, however they have been saved by the famine raging in Russia. In return for the grain despatched by the Vatican, it was agreed to donate it to the Holy See. They have been despatched to Rome in a sealed wagon, with a observe that the relics would by no means attain Poland. There may be an inscription on the chest: ‘A priceless statue, a present to the Vatican Museum.’
In 1920, when the Soviet onslaught was coming from the east and the specter of captivity and merciless persecution appeared over Poland, the Archbishop of Warsaw, Fr. Cardinal Aleksander Kakowski ordered by the intercession of blessed Andrzej Bobola novena, and ordered the relic of his hand to be carried in a procession by the streets of Warsaw. On the final day of the novena, the Polish military gained an amazing victory over the Bolsheviks, popularly generally known as the ‘Miracle on the Vistula’ in 1920.
Supply: Fr. Arkadiusz Nocoń / vaticannews.va/pl
