St. Hyacinth

Moniales OP has put up an interesting post on St. Hyacinth. I'd never heard of St. Hyacinth until today. Yet another reason to be thankful for being Catholic. . . I'm always learning something new.

Since not much is known about St. Hyacinth, the story of his life is interwoven with many beautiful legends. Here is one particularly moving story brought to us by the tradition: One day, during his mission in Ruthenia, Hyacinth was celebrating the Holy Mass in a church in Kiev. When he finished, someone told him that the Tartars had invaded the town, plundering homes and murdering the inhabitants. Without thinking, Hyacinth took the ciborium with the Blessed Sacrament from the altar and intended to runaway. Suddenly he heard a voice: 'Hyacinth, you have taken my Son but you are leaving me?' After this he took the statute of the Blessed Mother, which felt weightless under his arm, and safely left the city. He crossed the Dniepr River traveling to Halicz and returned to Krakow via Lvov.

Representative of the first Polish Dominicans, Saint Hyacinth was an excellent preacher and missionary. He sought to demonstrate to the people of Poland the true values of authentic Christianity. He was a true shepherd of souls, sensitive to the peoples' needs and tribulations. He studied, preached, heard confessions and visited the sick, serving his fellow men in word and deed and giving them an example to follow.

(go here to read more)