Melchior Grodziecki
Melchior Grodziecki (c. 1582-1619) was a Jesuit priest, martyr and saint of the Catholic Church.
| St. Melchior Grodziecki SJ | |
|---|---|
| Martyr Saint | |
| Born |
c. 1582 Cieszyn |
| Died |
7 September 1619 Kassa, Kingdom of Hungary (today: Košice, Slovakia) |
| Honored in | Poland, Roman Catholic Church, Society of Jesus |
| Beatified | 15 January 1905, Vatican City by Pope Pius X |
| Canonized | 2 July 1995, Košice by Pope John Paul II |
| Major shrine | Premonstratensian Church (Košice) |
| Feast | 7 September |
| Patronage | Archdiocese of Katowice, Diocese of Bielsko–Żywiec |
Biography
He was born in Cieszyn into the noble Grodski family. He studies began in Vienna with the Jesuits and in 1603 he entered the Jesuit novitiate in Brno. He made first vows there in 1605 and then went on to the Jesuit College in Kłodzko (1606–1607). To be able to teach in high schools, he spent a year in seminary in České Budějovice. In 1608, he returned to Kłodzko to complete his education in music. He graduated from philosophy and theology in Prague and in 1614 he was ordained a priest. From 1616, he was entrusted with the management of a dormitory in Prague for poor students.[1]
After the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), he was sent to Kassa, Kingdom of Hungary (today: Košice, Slovakia) with Hungarian István Pongrácz, a colleague from the Jesuit seminary. When the army of the Prince of Transylvania, George Rákóczi took Kassa, Melchior stayed at the castle, together with István Pongrácz and canon Marko Krizin.[2] On 7 September 1619, the Transylvanian army stormed the castle and arrested the priests.[3] They gave them a death sentence on charges of treason; accusing them of inviting the Polish army into Kassa. They were tortured and then beheaded that day. The execution of the priests shocked the local population, Catholics and Protestants alike.[4]
The bodies of the martyrs were recovered, after negotiations with Gabriel Bethlen, and were buried in the vicinity of Kassa. In 1636, they were moved to Nagyszombat (today: Trnava, Slovakia).
Veneration and Canonisation
The cause of beatification of the Kassa (Košice) martyrs began in 1628 and they were finally beatified on 15 January 1905 by Pope Pius X. They were canonized on 2 July 1995, in Košice by Pope John Paul II.[5] Their feast day is on 7 September.