Official feasts used to be an important part of the human community. People would gather together to remember something sacred, express their faith and hope for the future, and / or just be together formally, recognizing each other as being part of a shared community. Few things express a desire for shared companionship and social intimacy more than dining together. Sadly, the gathering together for feasting is increasingly a relic of the past – at least here in the West.
It need not be so! Today we will remember the ancient feasts.
The Feast Day of St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów
This Feast Day is a religious celebration that commemorates St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów, a Bishop of Kraków known chiefly for having been martyred by the Polish King Bolesław II the Generous.
Saint Stanislaus. 16th-century illustration from the Catalogus Archiepiscoporum Gnesnensium.
According to tradition, Stanislaus, or Stanisław in Polish, was born at Szczepanów, a village in Lesser Poland, the only son of the noble and pious Wielisław and Bogna. He was educated at a cathedral school in Gniezno (then the capital of Poland) and later, probably at Paris. On his return to Poland, Stanislaus was ordained a priest by Lambert II Suła, Bishop of Kraków. Following his ordination, he was given a canonry in Kraków and became known for his preaching. He was subsequently made pastor of Czembocz near Kraków, canon and preacher at the cathedral, and later, vicar-general.
After the bishop’s death (1072), Stanislaus was elected his successor but accepted the office only at the explicit command of Pope Alexander II. Stanislaus was one of the earliest native Polish bishops. He also became a ducal advisor and had some influence on Polish politics.
Stanislaus’ major accomplishments included bringing papal legates to Poland, and reestablishment of a metropolitan see in Gniezno. The latter was a precondition for Duke Bolesław’s coronation as king, which took place in 1076. Stanislaus then encouraged King Bolesław to establish Benedictine monasteries to aid in the Christianization of Poland.
Legend
Saint Stanislaus leads Piotr before the royal tribunal.
Stanislaus initial conflict with King Bolesław was over a land dispute. Stanislaus had purchased for the diocese a piece of land on the banks of the Vistula River near Lublin from a certain Peter (Piotr), but after Piotr’s death the land had been claimed by his family. The King ruled for the claimants, but according to legend, Stanislaus resurrected Piotr so that he could confirm that he had sold the land to the bishop.
According to Augustin Calmet, an 18th-century Bible scholar, Stanislaus asked the King for three days to produce his witness, Piotr. The King and the court were said to have laughed at the absurd request, but the King granted Stanislaus the three days. Stanislaus spent them in ceaseless prayer and, dressed in full bishop’s regalia, went with a procession to the cemetery where Piotr had been buried three years earlier. He had Piotr’s grave dug up until his remains were discovered. Then, before a multitude of witnesses, Stanislaus made Piotr rise, and Piotr did so.
Piotr was then dressed in a cloak and brought before King Bolesław to testify on Stanislaus’ behalf. The dumbfounded court heard Piotr reprimand his three sons and testify that Stanislaus had indeed paid for the land. Unable to give any other verdict, the King dismissed the suit against the bishop. Stanislaus asked Piotr whether he would remain alive, but Piotr declined and so was laid to rest once more in his grave and was reburied.
Chastisement of Bolesław
1- Saint Stanislaus being ordained as bishop. 2- Saint Stanislaus resurrects Peter. 3-King Bolesław murders Saint Stanislaus. 4-Stanislaus’ body is cut into pieces. Image from the Hungarian Kings’ Anjou Legendarium of the 14th century.
A more substantial conflict with King Bolesław arose after a prolonged war in Ruthenia, when weary warriors deserted and went home, alarmed at tidings that their overseers were taking over their estates and wives. According to Wincenty Kadłubek, the King punished the soldiers’ faithless wives very cruelly and was criticized for it by Bishop Stanislaus. Jan Długosz, however, writes that the bishop had in fact criticized the King for his own sexual immorality. Gallus Anonymus, in his laconic account, only condemned both the “traitor bishop” and the violent king.
Whatever the actual cause of the conflict between them, the result was that the bishop excommunicated King Bolesław, which included forbidding the saying of the Divine Office by the canons of Kraków Cathedral in case Bolesław attended. The excommunication aided the King’s political opponents, and the King accused Bishop Stanislaus of treason and the royal court found him guilty.
Martyrdom
13th-century effigy of Saint Stanislaus
King Bolesław sent his men to execute Bishop Stanislaus but when they didn’t dare to touch the bishop, the King decided to kill the bishop himself. He is said to have slain Stanislaus while he was celebrating Mass in the Skałka outside the walls of Kraków. According to Paweł Jasienica: Polska Piastów, it was actually in the Wawel Castle. The guards then cut the bishop’s body into pieces and scattered them to be devoured by wild beasts. According to the legend, his members miraculously reintegrated while the pool was guarded by four eagles.
The exact date of Stanislaus’s death is uncertain. According to different sources, it was either 11 April or 8 May 1079.
The murder stirred outrage throughout the land and led to the dethronement of King Bolesław II the Generous, who had to seek refuge in Hungary and was succeeded by his brother, Władysław I Herman.
Whether Stanislaus should be regarded as a traitor or a hero remains one of the classic unresolved questions of Polish history. His story has a parallel in the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170 by henchmen of England’s King Henry II.
Veneration as a saint
The cult of Saint Stanislaus the Martyr began immediately upon his death. In 1245 his relics were translated (i.e., moved) to Kraków’s Wawel Cathedral. In the early 13th century, Bishop Iwo Odrowąż initiated preparations for Stanislaus’ canonization and ordered Wincenty of Kielce to write the martyr’s vita. Stanislaus of Kraków was canonized by Pope Innocent IV at Assisi in 1253.
Pope Pius V did not include the saint’s feast day in the Tridentine calendar for use throughout the Roman Catholic Church. Subsequently, Pope Clement VIII inserted it, setting it for 7 May, but Kraków observes it on 8 May, a supposed date of the saint’s death, having done so since 8 May 1254, when it was attended by many Polish bishops and princes. In 1969, the Church moved the feast to 11 April, considered to be the date of his death in 1079.
Silver sarcophagus of St. Stanislaus in the Wawel Cathedral
As the first native Polish saint, Stanislaus is the patron of Poland and Kraków, and of some Polish dioceses. He shares the patronage of Poland with Saint Adalbert of Prague, Florian, and Our Lady the Queen of Poland.
While I highly recommend reading that incredible bio above, a shorter summary is present in the video below:
What do you eat for the Feast Day of St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów?
I could not find a specific dish traditionally associated with this feast day, so I thought about food common to where he is from. What is more appropriate to eat at a Feast Day for a Patron Saint of Poland than pierogi?
2 large (156g) shallots, diced; or one medium (156g) onion, sliced
Instructions
To make the dough: Mix together the flour and salt. Add the egg to the flour and combine. The dough will be quite clumpy at this stage.
Work in the sour cream and soft butter until the dough comes together in a slightly rough, slightly sticky ball.
Using just your fingertips, knead and fold the dough without adding additional flour until the dough becomes less sticky but still quite moist.
Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes, or up to 48 hours.
To make the filling: Combine the warm mashed potato and cheese. Stir and mash until the cheese is melted and the filling is cool to the touch. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
To fill the pierogi: Roll half the dough 1/8″ thick. Use a 2″ round cutter to cut circles of dough. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Save the scraps; these can be snipped into small pieces and added to simmering soups.
Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on each round of dough. Gently fold the dough over, forming a pocket around the filling. Pinch the edges of the pierogi to seal, then seal again with the tines of a fork.
At this point the pierogi can be frozen for up to 4 weeks, or refrigerated overnight, or cooked in a large stockpot of boiling salted water. Only cook about 10 pierogi at a time, so that they have room to float without sticking. When the pierogi float, they’re done. The time will vary depending on if they’re fresh or frozen.
Sauté the shallots or onion in the butter in a large skillet until the onion begins to brown. Add the drained pierogi and cook until browned and crisped. Serve hot with additional sour cream, applesauce, or other condiments
For more details and tips, I recommend visiting the link above.
What is a prayer you might say for the Feast day of St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów?
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us Your martyr, St. Stanislaus, as an example of holiness. Help us to imitate the openness to Your will that he showed by answering Your call to serve You in the priesthood.
St. Stanislaus, you began your life in the household of pious parents. From the foundation in the Faith that they gave you, you continued on the path of virtue and openness to God’s will for you.
Pray that all who are called to serve God in a religious vocation may respond generously to His call!
You willingly chose to serve God in the priestly vocation. As a priest, you carried out your vocation faithfully and grew in virtue. You inspired others with your holy example and your preaching.
Pray for me, that I may be open to the path of holiness God calls me to in my life.
Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).
St. Stanislaus, pray for us!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
This reminds me of the type of feasts my mother put on the table!! Boy I miss that!!
Thanks! A good homemade pierogi is delicious.