The families in Wrocław are welcoming into their homes the icon of Blessed Ceslaus - the patron saint of their town. The pilgrimage of the image of one of the first Polish Dominicans, who in 1226 founded the convent of the Friars Preachers at the Church of St. Wojciech in Wrocław, is part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of his beatification.
The pilgrimage of the image which started on the 20th of February was approved by the Wrocław Metropolitan Archbishop Marian Gołębiewski. He also addressed a special letter with his blessings to the families who wish to host the icon.
"This time of visitation might be an opportunity to establish closer ties with the patron saint of Wrocław and revitalize family and neighbourhood prayers" - says the promoter of devotions to Bl. Ceslaus, Fr Norbert Oczkowski, OP
Each family can keep the image for a whole week. It is accompanied by the book of visitation, where they can write their prayer petitions or express gratitude for the intercession of the Blessed. To commemorate the reception of the image, the family receives its framed paper copy.
The solemn ceremony of the passing of the image from one family to the other is held every Wednesday. This is right after the votive Mass of Bl. Ceslaus, celebrated at St Wojciech Church during which one can venerate the relics at the chapel of the tomb of the Blessed.
So far, the image of Bl. Ceslaus has been hosted by several families, however, the pilgrimage calendar is still filled for months. "It is not only the inhabitants of Wrocław who wish to have the image at their homes, but also those from the outskirts" - says Fr Oczkowski.
The image which presents Ceslaus Odrowąż dressed in the Dominican habit and holding the wooden cross in his left hand, was made by the Wrocław artist Joanna Hazuka. Into the wooden board on which the patron saint of Wrocław is painted, there is the silver capsule containing a piece of his skull.
Ceslaus (Polish: Czesław) Odrowąż was born around 1180 in Kamień Śląski - to the same family as St Hyacinth. They both received the Dominican habit in Rome from the hands of St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers. On his way back to Poland, Ceslaus founded the monastery in Prague, and in 1226 another one by the Church of St. Adalbert (Polish: Wojciech) in Wrocław.
According to tradition, his prayers helped to save Wrocław from destruction during the Mongol invasion in 1241. Ceslaus prayed for the salvation of the city and visited the shafts to encourage the defenders to resist. The Polish medieval historian - Jan Długosz, described the miracle of a luminous sphere appearing in the sky in response to the prayers of the monk during the siege of Wrocław by the Tartars and this deterred the invaders.
Ceslaus died on the 15th of July 1242, and he is remembered on July 20 every year. In 1713, Pope Clement XI approved his cult for the Dominican Order and the Archdiocese of Wroclaw. And in 1753 Pope Clement XIII extended it to all Polish dioceses.
The development of the devotion to the Blessed took place in the mid-twentieth century, when after the 140years break, the Dominicans returned to the capital of Lower Silesia. In 1963, Pope Paul VI at the request of the Archbishop of Wrocław, Cardinal Bolesław Kominek, declared Blessed Ceslaus as the main patron saint of the city. For several years, the Polish Dominican Province has endeavoured to pursue the process of his canonization.
(May 3, 2013)