13 November - St. Stanislaus Kostka, born 28 October 1550 in Rostkowo, Poland, belongs to a Catholic noble family from Mazovia, Poland, whose members held important positions in the government of Poland.
In 1564, he was sent with his brother Paul (Pawel) and his tutor, Bilinski, to the Jesuit College in Vienna. They were boarders there from July 1564 to March 1565. When the boarding school closed in 1565 (because the buildings were taken over from the Jesuits) the two young Kostka, with their servants, found accommodation in the house of Senator Kimberker, who was a Lutheran. Stanislaus' custom of praying for a long time, even late at night, irritates his brother and other companions who mock him and try to humiliate him. Very pious, he frequently received communion (a rare occurrence at the time) and confessed regularly. He was also an excellent student and learned German, Latin and the basics of Greek. His great love for the Virgin Mary led him to join the Marian Congregation of Saint Barbara, which met not only to pray together, but also to help prisoners and needy travelers.
At that time, Vienna was the scene of confrontations between Catholics and Lutherans; the latter were very present in the city. Stanislaus admired the role played by the Jesuits in this struggle for influence. Already at the age of 14, he wanted to join them, but the Jesuits refused to admit such young candidates.
During a serious illness in December 1566, he asked to receive communion. The owner of the house, an uncompromising Lutheran, opposed any priestly visits. Stanislaus had a profound mystical experience: turning in prayer to St. Barbara, he was visited by her. Accompanied by two angels, the saint brings him communion. Shortly afterwards, he recovers, to the great surprise of his relatives. He attributes this healing to Saint Barbara. From that day on, his decision is made: despite his father's fierce opposition, he will join the Society of Jesus.
Fearing reprisals against the Jesuits in Poland, the Austrian provincial refused to admit him to the local novitiate. Other doors closed, all fearing the reaction of Stanislaus' powerful father. It was pointed out to him that, seeing his constancy, his parents would eventually grant him their permission. He replied that he knew his parents better than anyone else and that it was vain to expect this from them. He had to fulfil the promise he had made to Jesus Christ. Only Francisco Antonio, a Portuguese Jesuit who is a confessor at court, supported him: he gave him a letter of recommendation for Pierre Canisius, Jesuit provincial of Germany, suggesting that Stanislaus be admitted to another Jesuit province. In the meantime, the opposition of his brother and others, including his tutor Bilinski himself, was growing: from insults they moved on to mistreatment. Stanislaus has made his decision: he will flee. Early in the morning of 10 August 1567, disguised as a beggar, he set off for Augsburg, where he hoped to find Pierre Canisius. His disappearance was not discovered until the following day. With others, his brother Paul sets out in pursuit, but in vain. Within a fortnight, Stanislas arrives in Augsburg, but has to continue on to Dillingen where Pierre Canisius is. Canisius understands without difficulty the situation and the authenticity of the young Pole's vocation. However, he thought it preferable to send him to Rome to do his novitiate and wrote a letter of recommendation to the superior general, François Borgia. Armed with this letter and accompanied by two other candidate-novices, Stanislaus Kostka set off again on 25 September 1567. They made the 1500 km long journey on foot from Dillingen to Rome and arrived there on October 25, 1567.
A few days after his arrival, on October 27th, he begins his novitiate, first in the professed house of the Gesù, then in the newly opened novitiate of Saint-André-du-Quirinal, which opens its doors at the beginning of 1568. The human and spiritual qualities of the young Stanislas impressed both his companions and his novice master. His radiant joy, his purity of behaviour, his spirit of service combined with a great delicacy of feeling attracted all his sympathies. The news of his escape and entry into the novitiate reached Rostkow. His father's reaction was incredibly violent. He wrote to him: "Your senseless behaviour has dishonoured the illustrious Kostka family. You dared to cross Germany and Italy, disguised as a beggar. If you persist in this madness, do not try to return to Poland. I will find you wherever you are hiding and instead of the golden necklace I prepared for you you will have iron chains and you will rot in a dungeon where you will not see the light of day". Moved, Stanislas replied: "I hope that in time you will give me back your old affection".
Stanislas seems to have had a premonition of his death. At the beginning of August 1568, he wrote a letter to the Virgin Mary asking her to take him with her to heaven on the day of his Assumption. He kept this letter with him. On August 10th, he became feverish. On August 13, he was taken to the infirmary: strong alternation of acute fevers with chills quickly weakened him. Malaria is endemic in Rome. Stanislas Kostka dies in the morning of 15 August 1568. Jan Kostka, the father of the saint, had not given up on his son. He sent Paul, his eldest son, to Rome with a formal order to bring his brother back to Poland by all possible means. When Paul arrives at the novitiate of St. Andrew of the Quirinal, Stanislaus is no longer... Stanislaus Kostka is the very first Jesuit to be beatified. In a brief from 1602, Pope Clement VIII referred to him as "blessed". He was canonised on 31 December 1726, together with Louis de Gonzaga, by Pope Benedict XIII.
