St. Hyacinth of Poland, Priest
Obligatory Memorial
At the end of the 12th century, Jacko — called Hyacinth from the 14th century onward — was born at Kamień in the Diocese of Wrocław. A canon of the church of Krakow, he entered the Order in Rome in 1220.
In 1221, St. Dominic appointed him, together with fr. Henry of Moravia, to spread the Order in Poland. Already in 1222, a convent of Preachers was established in Krakow. In 1225, Gerard of Wrocław, the first provincial of Poland, dispersed the brothers of Krakow along five routes.
Hyacinth founded the convent at Gdańsk in Pomerania, and later at Kyiv, where he lived from 1229 to 1233, distinguished by purity of life and filial devotion to the Mother of the Lord.
He labored greatly among the Orthodox and Catholics of that region, and left the city shortly before the brothers were expelled by Prince Vladimir Rurikovich. Among these journeys is remembered the famous miracle in which he crossed the Vistula River with dry feet, together with his companions, spreading their cloaks over the water while carrying the Eucharist and a statue of the Virgin.
He died in the convent of Krakow on Aug. 15, 1257. Clement VII numbered him among the blesseds in 1527, and Clement VIII enrolled him in the catalogue of saints on April 17, 1594.
Proprium Officiorum Ordinis Praedicatorum ad Normam Decretorum Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II Instauratum Vincentii Couesnongle iussu editum, Editio typica, Sanctae Sabinae, Romae 1982.
