By Krzysztof Bronk
In 1567, St Stanislaus Kostka left Vienna, Austria and crossed Germany on his way to Rome, hoping to enter the Society of Jesus against his father’s wishes. This year, young Polish pilgrims retraced the same 1,713-kilometer (1,064.5 miles) route to pray for vocations.
The pilgrimage marked the 300th anniversary of the canonization of St Stanislaus and was carried out as a relay, with 160 participants.
The first stage, from Vienna to Linz, began on Jul 3. “We wanted to remind the world and Europe of St Stanislaus,” said Bishop Szymon Stułkowski, who created the pilgrimage, which passed through Austria, Germany and Italy.
The dramatic journey of the young Stanislaus
On Sep 15, at the tomb of St Stanislaus in the Church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale in Rome, the pilgrims gave thanks for their journey. In his homily, Cardinal Gianfranco Ghirlanda recalled the dramatic course of the young saint’s life.
While studying at the Collegium Nobilium in Vienna, Stanislaus discovered his vocation to the Jesuits. Anticipating opposition from his family, he fled Vienna. He first went to Germany, where he received support from St Peter Canisius, and then continued to Rome, where he was admitted to the novitiate.
Despite the many obstacles he faced, Stanislaus showed remarkable determination. The Cardinal noted that this strength came partly from his character and resolve, and partly from a supernatural source.
In Mary’s presence
While still in Vienna, Stanislaus endured a serious illness. During that time, he experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus. She allowed him to hold the Child in his arms and made him understand that the hour of his death had not yet come and that he was to enter the Society of Jesus.
He would encounter Mary once more two years later, while already a Jesuit novice in Rome, at the hour of his death. St Stanislaus Kostka died on Aug 15, 1568, at just 18. He is the patron saint of novices and young Jesuits.
A lesson in resisting the vanity of the world
Cardinal Ghirlanda noted that St Stanislaus Kostka, who came from a wealthy and influential family, “fully understood the vanity of worldly things, in the sense that they disappear like mist, while what remains forever is the will of God.”
For this reason, the cardinal said, the Polish saint remains relevant today.
“The pagan society in which we now live is a constant temptation for all of us,” Cardinal Ghirlanda said. “In many ways, it attracts us with its vanity, and the Evil One deceives us by presenting it as something solid, as something that can give us happiness. St Stanislaus teaches us that we must resist it and remain faithful to God, even if this may lead to misunderstanding from those around us.” – Vatican News
