Hyacinth of Poland
or

Jacek Odrowacz
1185-15 August 1257

 

 About the early history of the Dominicans in Poland, click here.

 

A brief biography.

 

Hyacinth of Poland, - Jacek Odrowacz -, called the Apostle of the North, son of Eustachius Konski of the noble family of Odrowacz, was born 1185 at the castle of Lanka, at Kamin, in Silesia.

A near relative of Saint Ceslaus,O.P., he made his studies at Cracow, Prague, and Bologna, and merited the title of Doctor of Law and Divinity. On his return to Poland he was given a prebend at Sandomir. He subsequently accompanied his uncle Ivo Konski, the Bishop of Cracow, to Rome, where he met St. Dominic. He was one of the first to receive at Dominic

's hands at Santa Sabina the habit of the Order of Friars Preachers in 1220. After his novitiate he made his religious profession, and was made superior of the little band of missionaries sent to Poland to preach.
On the way he established a priory at Friesach in Carinthia, at Sandomir, Cracow, and at Plocko in Moravia. He extended his missionary work through Prussia, Pomerania, and Lithuania; then crossing the Baltic Sea he preached in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. He came into Lower or Red Russia, establishing a priory at Lemberg and at Haletz on the Mester; proceeded into Muscovy, and founded a priory at Dieff, and came as far as the shores of the Black Sea.  He then returned to Cracow, which he had made the centre of his operations.  

On the morning of 15 August 1257 he attended Matins and Mass, received the last sacraments, and died. God glorified His servant by numberless miracles, the record of which fills many folio pages of the Acta SS., August, III, 309. He was canonized by Pope Clement VIII in 1594. A portion of his relics is at the Dominican church in Paris.

 

 Philately

 

The statue of Hyacinth of Poland on the facade (1670)
of the church of the priory in Vienna.
 

Austria 1966, Mi 1202, Sc 757.

 

 

 

 

 

The Dominicans received from Duke Swietopelk
the Nicholas-Church, near the Jacek-Bastion in 1227.

 

 

Danzig 1937. Post telegram.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The basilica with the statue of Hyacinth of Poland right opposite
the statue of the Virgin Mary on the stamp, honouring the centenary
of the apparition of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes.

 

Monaco 1958, Mi 601, Sc C51.

 

 

 

 

Hacienda San Jacinto in Managua.
 Historic landmark of Nicaragua.

 

Nicaragua 1994, Mi Bl 236, Sc 2086. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Philippines there are some villages dedicated to Hyacinth of Poland, because of Spanish Dominicans that  evangelized the people.

The village of San Jacinto in Masbate.

 

Philippines 1994. Postmark 02.03.1994 San Jacinto in Pagasinan, postmark 15.02.19??.   

 

 

 

 

 

          

The Dominicans built a brick church in Cracow, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, (kosiol sw, Trócy) in 1241.In the 14th century rebuilt to a basilica, and practically rebuilt after a fire in 1850. In the church the chapels of the family Lubomirski and Sobieski.
Also the mortuary chapel of Hyacinth of Poland at the left.

 

Poland occupation stamps, Germany General Government) 1940, Mi 44,
Sc N61.

 

 

 

On this stamp a view of Gdansk with on the left,
at the end the Hyacinth-tower.

 

Poland 1954, Mi 873, Sc 640.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1278 the chapel of the castle in Slupsk (Stolp) was the priory chapel
of the Dominicans, dedicated to Saint Jacek Odrowaz, c.q. Hyacinth
of Poland,  till 1524. In that year the brotherhood of the priory was killed by the reformers.

The chapel ruined and was restored in 1602 and in use by
the Protestants till 1945. In the chapel the mortuary monuments of the last dukes of Stettin.

 

Poland 1960, Mi 1196, Sc 956.

 

 

 

In honouring the 110th anniversary of the Jacek-Gymnasium
in Cracow with a special postmark.

 

Poland 1967, post-card, catalogue Ruch CP 332.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the city of Old Warsaw at the right the church
of the Dominicans, dedicated to Hyacinth of Poland.

 

Poland 1979, Mi 2633, Sc 2341.

 

 

 

 

Poland 1985, Mi 1672+Bl.48(-)S.Jacinto-Dünen?   On order.

 

 

Honouring the 25th visit of Pope John Paul II in Poland, a postmark
with the Pope and the text: Sanktuarium Saint Jacka (Saint Hyacinth
of Poland). Kamien is the birthplace of Jacek Odrowacz, 1185.

 

Poland 2004, postmark Kamien Slaski 12.06.2004.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poland 2007, postmark Gniezno 1, 2.6.2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The statue (23rd) of Hyacinth of Poland

at the left on the colonnade of Bernini (1598-1680),

Vatican City, Rome,

 

Venezuela 1963, Mi 1498,1499, Sc 834,834.

 

 

 

 

Return to   REGISTER A                  Return to   HOMEPAGE