| Oto przedruk artykułu Andrzeja Balcerzaka, opublikowanego przez MelbourneCatholic.org.au 23 kwietnia br, w uroczystość św. Wojciecha, patrona Polski.
Today is the feast of St Wojciech/Adalbert, who is revered as one of Poland’s oldest saints and one of the great patron saints of the Polish nation.
O relikwiach św. Wojciecha - po polsku
Wojciech was born in 956 AD into a noble Czech family in Libice. He was one of six brothers. He was a gravely ill child when he started on the path to sainthood. His parents saw his survival as a sign from God and encouraged Wojciech to take his first steps on his life’s journey to serve God.
His father, Slavnik, was a sovereign of Zlican province. And his mother was a daughter of the Duke of Bohemia, Vratislav I
Wojciech commenced his religious studies under Adalbert of Magdenburg who was also to become a saint. At his conformation, Wojciech took the name Adalberg and is also know as St Adalbert of Prague.
On the death of St Adalbert of Magdenburg, Wojciech returned to Prague. After about two years Wojciech became the first Czech bishop. He was only 27 years old.
In those days, Prague was on the route taken by the slave traders. Folklore tells the story that Wojciech had a dream in which Jesus reprimands him for not taking steps to stop slavery. In the dream Jesus says to Wojciech, ‘Here I am sold again and you are sleeping!’ This dream is beautifully illustrated on the bronze doors of the Gniezno Cathedral in Poland.
Awaking from his dream Wojciech immediately took steps to protest against slavery. For example, he vehemently opposed the involvement of the local Christians and Jews in the slave trade. His protests were met with hostile resistance every step of the way.
Exhausted and depressed after spending five years dealing with hostile resistance and yet not making progress, Wojciech thought that he had failed God and so he requested Pope John XV to release him from his role of bishop. However the Pope, assessing the situation wisely, did not release Wojciech and instead granted him time off to recuperate.
During this time Wojciech and his brother, Radim, started walking to the Holy Land. Along the way they met the future St Nil, who recommended to Wojciech to join the Benedictine Order in Rome. Wojciech’s path now led him to Rome.
However, in 992 AD the interim bishop of Prague died and the Pope called on Wojciech to return to Prague to continue in his role of bishop.
In the years that followed, Wojciech established the first Czech monastery in Brevnov. From the monastery he sent out missionaries to Hungary, where he went many times and where apparently Wojciech baptised or confirmed the Hungarian King Saint Stephan I.
Just as Wojciech seemed to be settling in to a harmonious stride, tragedy struck. A woman committed adultery and ran away from her husband. The husband was a member of the very powerful Vrsovcis clan and he set about trying to find his wife so that he could murder her.
While running for her life the woman came across Wojciech's path and he saved her by giving her asylum in the monastery. However, learning of this the Vrsovcis clan raided the monastery and murdered the woman. Bishop Wojciech cursed the murderers. In revenge for his curse the Vrsovcis clan raided Bishop Wojciech’s family castle and murdered four of his brothers, their wives and children.
Distraught and broken, Bishop Wojciech left Czechia yet again and this time sought solace by staying with Pope John XV.
However, when Pope John XV died Wojciech was accused by the Synod of illegally leaving Prague and under the threat of excommunication he was ordered to return to Prague.
By now people in Prague refused to accept Wojciech and he decided to go to Poland to visit Boleslaw Chrobry (The Brave), who later became the first King of Poland. Boleslaw was so overjoyed when Wojciech offered to undertake missionary work in Poland, he offered instead to make Wojciech his diplomat. Wojciech declined the invitation, preferring to serve God by undertaking missionary work.
In early 997 AD, Wojciech and his mission supported by Boleslaw's warriors set out towards the pagan lands. On the way Wojciech stopped at Gdansk to preach the Gospel to the local Pomeranians.
Anticipating that the mission might be mistaken as a military expedition Wojciech dismissed the warriors and proceeded to the pagan lands with his brother, Radym, subdeacon Benedict Bogusz and three missionaries.
On Friday 23 April 997 AD, somewhere near today’s city of Elblag, a pagan mob attacked the mission while they were celebrating morning Mass. Wojciech was dragged up a hill, speared six times and beheaded.
Radym and Bogusz were released on the condition that a ransom be paid for Wojciech’s body. Boleslaw agreed and Wojciech’s body was carried to Gniezno Cathedral.
The news of Wojciech's martyrdom quickly spread and on hearing the news Emperor Otto III immediately requested Pope Sylvester II to arrange for Wojciech to be canonised. Wojciech’s canonisation was the first ever to be proclaimed by the Pope, the process having previously been the domain of local bishops.
St Wojciech became the patron of the Church in Poland. His life and journeys to serve God soon became legendary in Hungary, Czechia and other countries of Europe. The fruits of his service to God continue to travel through time and live to inspire us today.
Andrew Balcerzak is a parishioner of St Thomas Aquinas Church in South Yarra
melbournecatholic.org.au/News/the-path-of-the-patron-saint-of-poland | 
