St. Hyacinth of Poland

Feast Day: August 17

Saint Hyacinth (Jacek) was born near Wroclaw (Breslau) in Upper Silesia, Poland around 1185. He was ordained and became a canon of the cathedral of Krakow. On a journey to Rome in 1220 he was attracted to the Order by the holiness and preaching of Saint Dominic.

In 1221 he was sent with Henry of Moravia to establish the Order in Poland. The priory of Krakow was established in 1222 and the Province of Poland in 1225. Saint Hyacinth labored many years in this region and established priories at Gdansk and at Kiel.

Like so many saints of the Order he was devoted to Mary, the Mother of God.

He died in Krakow on August 15, 1257.