St. Stanisław and Skałka

05/25/2012 09:08

When it comes to saints from Poland, St. Stanislaus (Stanisław) is one of the biggies, if not the biggest. When I was growing up, there were St. Stan’s churches all over the place, but I never really gave it any thought as to where they got their name. It was only when I lived in Kraków that I came to know more about Stanislaus.

There is a church along the Wisła River called Skałka. This is where a bishop named Stanisław of Szczepanów lived. The king at the time was Bolesław the Bold. He was known not only for his feats of bravery, but also for, let’s just call it “sensual” pleasures. Stanisław didn’t hesitate to give the king a hard time about this. The king, on the other hand, did not hesitate to discredit the bishop, and even took him to court on a trumped-up charge over some land ownership. The case failed. The king, however, did not give up on his efforts to bring down Stanisław, and eventually sent some of his men to kill the bishop. Again failure. Finally, in a fit of rage, Bolesław came to the bishop’s church along the river and, while the latter’s back was to him, murdered him. He then ordered the bishop’s body to be chopped into pieces and thrown into the tiny pond by the church. I think that there were subsequently a few Sopranos’ episodes based on this theme. Then the miracle: Four white eagles descended from heaven and restored the innocent and pious man’s body into one piece.

The king was eventually banned from the country. Stanisław was later canonized, and his body placed in Wawel Castle, where it remains until the present. The pond also became a place where more miracles of healing took place. Today, the church and pond still remain, just waiting for us to visit, and as a result of his fame, St. Stanislaus churches can be found the world over, frequently with bingo on Wednesday nights.                                              

Skałka as seen from across the Wisła River. Some of Poland's greatest writers and artists lie in the crypt here, including Czesław Miłosz.