St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr, was an inspirational and most appropriate choice as patron saint of Buffalo's first Polish parish. his exemplary priestly qualities and supreme devotion to God and country have made him a perfect model for those who model and are still preserving Polish religions and cultural identities in Buffalo, New York. That the clergy, sisters, and untold numbers of parishioners have emulated the faith and spirit of St. Stanislaus is testament to the choice as patron for the Mother Church of Polonia in Western New York.
Stanislaus Szczepanowski was born of noble parents on July 26, 1030, in the village of Szczepanow, near Krakow, Poland. Scholarly and pious, he was education in Gnesen and Paris. Upon the death of his parents, he distributed his possessions to the poor and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Zula of Krakow, who assigned him to the cathedral. He soon became renowned for his preaching, saintly life and love of the poor. An ardent reformer who was in demand as a spiritual adviser, he was named Bishop of Krakow by Pope Alexander II in 1072.
As a bishop, Stanislaus continued his reforms against superstition and declining morality. In do doing, he incurred the enmity of King Boleslaus the Bold when he denounced the ruler for cruelties and injustices. Although a brave and accepted leader initially, King Boleslaus had been corrupted by power and engaged in cruel, arbitrary and lustful behavior. Matters culminated in a widespread scandal in which Boleslaus kidnapped the beautiful wife of a noble.
Stanislaus rebuked the king and attempted to have him recant his sinful excesses. When this effort failed, Stanislaus bravely excommunicated the ruler and stopped services in the cathedral when Boleslaus entered. On April 11, 1079, as Stanislaus was saying Mass in a chapel outside the city, the king personally murdered him at the altar. The martyrdom of Stanisalus brought condemnation to the king, who was exiled and died in Hungary.
St. Stanislaus was canonized by Pope Innocent IV in 1273. He is recognized as the symbole of Polish nationhood as well as the principal patron of Krakow. His special meaning to our parish is exemplified by the weekly novena conducted in his honor following mass each Tuesday.
