St. Adalbert of Prague
Feast Day April 23
Patron of Bohemia; Poland; Prussia 956 – 997
The first bishop of Prague to have been born in Bohemia, St. Adalbert was born Voytech c. 956 into a noble family. He was sent to Magdeburg to be educated and took the name of his catechist when he was baptized. After the death of his mentor in 981, Adalbert, who had grand visions of missionary work and clerical reform, returned to Prague, and in the following year, he became the second bishop of Prague. Conflict developed between the bishop and the duke of Bohemia, Boleslaus II, and in 990, Adalbert travelled to Rome, where he became a monk. John XV ordered him back to Prague two years later, and Gregory V released him from his episcopal duties in 995, after the massacre, at the order of Boleslaus, of Adalbert's family at Libice. During these five years in Prague, Adalbert founded the abbey of Brevnov. Boleslaus I, duke of Poland, invited him to evangelize the Prussians of Pomerania; Adalbert was killed on the suspicion of being a Polish spy. Boleslaus I buried Adalbert's body at Gniezno, Poland, whence it was transported in 1039 to Prague. Adalbert was canonized in 999.
Mission and martyrdom in Prussia
Adalbert of Prague had already in 977 entertained the idea of becoming a missionary in Prussia. After he had converted Hungary, he was sent by the Pope to convert the heathen Prussians. Boleslaus the Brave, duke of Poland (later king), sent soldiers with Adalbert. The bishop and his followers - including his half-brother Radim (Gaudentius) - entered Prussian territory and went along the Baltic Sea coast to Gdańsk.
When they did not heed warnings to stay away from the sacred oak groves, Adalbert was martyred in April 997 on the Baltic Sea coast east of Truso (currently Elbląg, Elbing), or near Tenkitten and Fischhausen. It is recorded that his body was bought back for its weight in gold by Boleslaus the Brave.
Veneration
A few years later Adalbert was canonized as Saint Adalbert of Prague. Notably, Bohemian rulers initially refused to ransom Saint Adalbert's body from the Prussians who murdered him, so it was purchased by Poles. This fact may be explained by Saint Adalbert's belonging to the Slavniks family; it highlights the strength of the two clans' conflict. Thus Saint Adalbert's bones were stored in Gniezno and helped Boleslaus the Brave to improve Poland's position in Europe.
The massive bronze Gniezno Doors of Gniezno Cathedral, of about 1175, are decorated with 18 reliefs of scenes from the saint's life, the only Romanesque church doors in Europe to contain a cycle illustrating the life of a saint.
April 1997 was the thousandth anniversary of Saint Adalbert's martyrdom. It was commemorated in the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Russia and other countries. Representatives of Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Evangelical churches pilgrimaged to Gniezno, to the saint's tomb. John Paul II visited Gniezno and held a ceremonial divine service in which heads of seven European states and about a million believers took part.