Saint Hyacinth

"S. Hyacinthi Confessoris" refers to **Saint Hyacinth**, a confessor of the faith. He is also known as the **Apostle of the North** and the **Thaumaturgus** of his age. He was from the ancient house of the counts of Oldrovans, one of the most illustrious of Silesia, a province at that time united to Poland, now to Bohemia, or Germany.

The term "Confessoris" indicates that he was a confessor of the faith, meaning he lived a holy life and confessed his faith in Christ by his words and actions.

The phrase "S. Hyacinthi Confessoris" is often used in liturgical contexts, such as Vespers, which is a sunset evening prayer service in the Western Catholic Church. The feast day of Saint Hyacinth is celebrated on **August 17**. It is also referred to as a **double within the octave** of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and octave day of St Lawrence.

Saint Hyacinth, also known as Święty Jacek or Jacek Odrowąż in Polish, was a Polish Dominican priest and missionary who worked to reform women's monasteries in his native Poland. He was born around 1185 at the castle of Lanka, at Kamień, in Silesia, Poland. He was from a noble family, the son of Eustachius Koński of the noble family of Odrowąż.

From the Breviary: Hyacinth was a Pole, born of noble Christian parents at the villa of Kamin in the Bishopric of Breslau. He was enrolled among the canons of Krakow and excelled them all in his singularly devout way of life and in his learning. At Rome, he was received into the Order of Preachers by its founder, St. Dominic; and to the end of his days, his virginity intact, he held to the perfect rule of life which he had learned from St. Dominic. He was sent back to his own country and built six monasteries of his Order. It is unbelievable how much he accomplished by preaching the word of God and by the innocency of his life, made illustrious by numerous miracles. Among these is this particularly remarkable miracle: he crossed over the river Vistula near Visograd when it was in flood, taking his companions with him, not by boat but on his cloak spread out over the waters. He persevered in his wonderful way of life for nearly forty years after his profession. On the day of the Virgin's Assumption in the year of salvation 1257, he gave up his soul to God. He was numbered among the Saints by Clement VIII.

Hyacinth received an impressive education, becoming a Doctor of Law and Divinity. He studied in notable cities such as Kraków, Prague, and Bologna. After his studies, he was given a prebend at Sandomierz, a medieval center of administration in the southeastern part of Poland.

In 1220, he traveled to Rome with his uncle, Ivo Konski, the Bishop of Krakow. There, he met Saint Dominic and was profoundly influenced by him. He decided to join the Order of Preachers immediately, receiving his habit from Dominic himself. After his novitiate, he made his religious profession and was made superior of the little band of missionaries sent to Poland to preach.

In Poland, the new preachers were well received, and their sermons produced a deep conversion in the people. Hyacinth also founded communities in Sandomir, Kracow, and at Plocko on the Vistula in Moravia. He extended his missionary work through Prussia, Pomerania, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Russia, reaching the shores of the Black Sea.

Saint Hyacinth passed away on August 15, 1257, in Krakow. He is venerated as a patron saint of Poland, Lithuania, and Belarus, as well as of missions, missionaries, and sailors. His feast day is celebrated on August 17.

(1) Hyacinth of Poland - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyacinth_of_Poland.

(2) St. Hyacinth - Catholic News Agency. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-hyacinth-566.

(3) Feast Day of Saint Hyacinth: The Polish Dominican Friar and Missionary. https://www.catholic365.com/article/30573/feast-day-of-saint-hyacinth-the-polish-dominican-friar-and-missionary.html.

(4) St. Hyacinth – Dominican Friars Foundation. https://dominicanfriars.org/st-hyacinth/.

(5) Saint Hyacinth – St. Hyacinth Basilica. https://www.sthyacinthbasilica.org/saint-hyacinth/.

(6) St. Hyacinth, Confessor - Collection at Bartleby.com. https://www.bartleby.com/lit-hub/lives-of-the-saints/volume-viii-august/st-hyacinth-confessor. (7) Ad Vesperas - S. Hyacinthi Confessoris ~ III. classis. https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/2545e275-b922-4242-b3c7-08c3cb2087fd/episodes/348c2f79-3297-4e2a-aa9d-3db1fd38ed2f/praying-the-breviary-ad-vesperas---s-hyacinthi-confessoris-iii-classis.

(8) S. Hyacinthi Confessoris (August 17) - YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0okuKI5udiXTQMUwfBfS6_8i1zoOSZEX.

(9) Ad Vesperas - S. Hyacinthi Confessoris ~ III. classis - IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26408911/.

(10) undefined. https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/praying-the-breviary/support.