Pope to Poles: May St Stanislaus obtain for us gift of peace

At the General Audience, Pope Francis notes that Poland observes the feast day of its Patron Saint, St Stanislaus of Krakow, on this date, and encourages the Polish faithful to turn to him in prayer for peace for Europe and for the world.

May 08, 2024

By Deborah Castellano Lubov
Pope Francis today remembered the feast day of St Stanislaus of Krakow, the patron saint of Poland and first Pole ever to be canonized.

While the universal Church celebrates him on 11 April, his home country of Poland celebrates him nationally on 8 May, the date of his death in 1079, when he was killed for the faith by King Boleslaus II.

During his remarks to Polish pilgrims at his Wednesday General Audience, the Pope acknowledged, "Today you celebrate the solemnity of St Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr, patron of your homeland."

"St John Paul II wrote of him," the Holy Father recalled, "that from high in heaven, he shared in the sufferings and hopes of your nation, sustaining its survival, especially during the Second World War."

Before offering his blessing, Pope Francis concluded by praying that the intercession of St Stanislaus may "obtain, also today, the gift of peace in Europe and throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East."

During his pontificate, Pope St. John Paul II - who, being Polish and having served in the "See of Stanislaus" as Cardinal Archbishop of Krakow before being elected Pope - spoke often of St Stanislaus.--Vatican News