Written by Thérèse W
Few teenagers who claim the title of Catholic today are as fortitudinous in their faith as St. Stanislaus Kostka.
When faced with the challenges of peer pressure and abuse for his faith, he did not abandon it, but instead pursued his spiritual life with even greater zeal. The young Stanislaus understood what it means to truly love God and led a short but virtuous life.
In September of 1550, Stanislaus Kostka was born into a wealthy Catholic family in Masovia, Poland. Stanislaus’ parents raised their children with a strict approach to the faith and taught them the virtues while they were still young. Stanislaus took these virtues to heart and practiced them for the rest of his life, so much so that as a child he was bothered and would fall to the ground when people talked about inappropriate things.
He and his older brother Paul were homeschooled by their tutor, John Bilinski, until 1564 when the three went to a new Jesuit college in Vienna to study. Stanislaus fit right in and others at the college began to notice his cheerful disposition and pious attitude. Stanislaus enjoyed silence, attended Mass three times a day if he could, and witnesses even attest to having seen him levitate during Mass or prayer on several occasions. Unfortunately, the college was closed soon after John and the Kostka boys arrived. They were forced to leave so they decided to move into a house with two other men.
Up to this point, Stanislaus’ life seemed to be one of faith and peace, but there were parts of his education that interfered with the lifestyle he wanted to have.
As a Polish nobleman, dancing, dressing extravagantly, and taking a servant along were expected of him. Yet Stanislaus chose not to engage in these things, a sharp contrast to his brother, Paul, who gladly embraced them. However, “In Stanislaus, Paul saw everything that he wasn’t, and he hated him for it,” (Swaim 63).
Stanislaus’ roommates started to get annoyed with his holy habits. For example, while they were sleeping, Stanislaus stayed up praying and the candle would burn late. Once it burned all the way down and set fire to his bed and everywhere around him, but Stanislaus remained perfectly fine.
Paul and John also began bullying him, calling him ‘the Jesuit’ as an insult. Paul slowly became violent - he kicked and struck his brother. All this did not discourage Stanislaus, but rather improved his spirituality. He turned the other cheek and did everything Paul asked of him. He even consented to bringing a servant along anywhere but to church or to visit the Jesuits. But this was not enough for Paul and John. They thought he might run away to join the Jesuits so they made a servant follow him everywhere.
When Stanislaus escaped them, the servants often found him levitating or lying prostrate in the church.
Stanislaus’ health began declining in 1566 because of his brother’s abuse and his own strict spiritual discipline. He also began to suffer spiritually: the devil attacked him by visiting him in the form of a large black dog. Sadly, there was not much he could do about it because he was living in the house of a very anti-Catholic Lutheran man who did not allow Communion in the house.
Nevertheless, God provided - Stanislaus reported that Saint Barbara visited him and two angels brought him Holy Communion.
Stanislaus also had a vision of Mary bringing the child Jesus to his bed and laying him down. He interpreted this to mean that he should enter the Society of Jesus. As soon as he was well enough, he went to the church and offered thanks, then told one of the Jesuits at his school about his calling. From there he contacted the Jesuit provincial in Vienna and requested to enter into the order. Stanislaus was afraid of going against his father’s will, and he was denied entrance because of this. But he was determined, so he committed to visiting Jesuit colleges and decided not to return home to Poland until he had joined an order.
He was not trying to be rebellious; he simply desired to follow God’s will for him.
In August 1567, at only seventeen years old, Stanislaus consulted Father Francis Antoni about his difficult situation. Fr. Antoni advised him to consult Father Peter Canisius in Augsburg, and if that did not work, Fr. Francis Borgia in Rome. Meanwhile, Stanislaus’ troubles with his brother continued. He finally broke down and told Paul that he would leave if his abuse continued. Paul swore and told Stanislaus that he did not want to see him anymore. The next day, true to his word, Stanislaus departed with a blessing from Fr. Antoni and his letters of reference. Later that evening, Paul and John figured he was with the Jesuits and went there to look for him. The Jesuits referred them to Rome, but after ten miles they turned back for Vienna because Stanislaus’ head start was too great. When the two started out again the next morning, they kept thinking they were on the wrong path and the horses miraculously refused to go forwards unless it was in the opposite direction that Stanislaus was going.
At that point, Paul and John gave in and no longer opposed God’s will. Thus began Paul’s feelings of regret for what he had done. Paul wrote to his father about Stanislaus running away, who was infuriated and in response threatened Stanislaus through letters, demanding his return. Stanislaus did not understand his father’s feelings and continued his journey to Augsburg, four hundred and fifty miles from Vienna. He stopped in chapels and begged for food along the way. He finally reached Augsburg only to find that Father Peter Canisius was in Dillingen. Stanislaus walked the whole way there, and thankfully, Fr. Peter was happy to accept him. Stanislaus was still concerned about the close proximity to Poland so he was sent to Francis Borgia in Rome.
Finally, Stanislaus became a Jesuit novice in Rome, but only for about ten months.
He was humble, kept the rules perfectly, and was completely consumed in prayer - passing out and shaking frequently due to “the literal feverishness from his great love of God” (Swaim 68). Stanislaus’ health declined again as August of 1568 approached and he anticipated his near death. The young Jesuit wished to die in time to be with Mary in Heaven for the feast of the Assumption on August 15th. He received several sacraments as he died, held a crucifix, prayed, and asked to be laid on the floor to die in as much humility as possible.
St. Stanislaus Kostka died around three in the morning on August 15th and supposedly had a vision of Mary welcoming him into Heaven as he passed.
Within a short time, Paul came to Rome to retrieve Stanislaus only to find that he had died a month before. His life was different from then on. He reformed his habits by dressing simply and praying devoutly. Every time he heard his brother’s name, he cried. In the end, Paul wanted to be a Jesuit, and was accepted, but passed away before he was able to enter the order. However, he did live to attend Stanislaus’ beatification in 1605.
Although the story of St. Stanislaus’ life is difficult and sad, it is also a story that gives hope. Stanislaus may not have been entirely happy during his life, but he never regretted following God’s will and died in joy because of his immense spiritual strength, which eventually came through to his brother and changed his heart. It is increasingly difficult to be Catholic today but one need look no further than this young patron of students for hope and guidance in their pursuit to remain faithful.
Resources:
Swaim, Colleen. "St. Stanislaus Kostka." Ablaze: Stories of Daring Teen Saints. Liguori, MO:
Liguori Publications, 2011. 59-72. Print.
Van Ortroy, Francis. "St. Stanislas Kostka." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 1 Nov. 2016 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14245b.htm>
"Saint Stanislaus Kostka, Jesuit, Patron of Youth." Lives of the Saints. Editions Magnificat, 24 Feb. 2016. Web. 01 Nov. 2016. <http://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_stanislaus_kostka.html>.