Feast: September 28
Saint Wenceslaus, also called Vaclav, was born around the year 907 in Bohemia, the son of Duke Wratislaus I and the pious Duchess Drahomíra. His grandmother, Saint Ludmila, instructed him in the Catholic faith, planting in his heart a tender devotion to Christ and to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
From his youth, Wenceslaus showed remarkable virtue. He loved chastity, humility, and prayer, and he studied diligently under the guidance of holy priests. He often spent hours in church, serving at the altar, and caring for the poor and orphans with the money that others might have used for luxury.
When his father died, Wenceslaus was still young, and his pagan mother, Drahomíra, seized power. She favored the enemies of the Christian faith, persecuted the clergy, and even arranged the murder of Saint Ludmila. Yet when Wenceslaus came of age, he assumed the rule of Bohemia and restored the Christian religion with great zeal.
As duke, he governed with justice and charity. He was known to rise in the night to grind wheat and bake bread for the poor with his own hands. He adorned churches, encouraged the clergy, and sought peace with neighboring Christian rulers, even offering tribute to the Emperor Henry I to avoid bloodshed among his people.
His life was marked by holiness, but also by opposition. His younger brother, Boleslaus, was envious of Wenceslaus’ virtue and popularity, and conspired with pagan nobles to overthrow him. On the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian, in the year 935, Wenceslaus went to Mass, and afterward Boleslaus invited him to a banquet. As the saint departed, his brother struck him, and the conspirators slew him at the doors of the church. With his last breath, Saint Wenceslaus prayed for his murderers.
Soon after his martyrdom, miracles abounded at his tomb. His relics were translated to the church of Saint Vitus in Prague, where he has ever since been venerated as the principal patron of Bohemia. The Church honors him as a martyr, not only for dying at the hands of his brother, but for his heroic defense of the Catholic faith and his life of Christian virtue.
The devotion to Saint Wenceslaus spread quickly throughout Europe. He became a symbol of the just Christian ruler, combining princely authority with saintly humility. The hymn Svatý Václave in his honor became a national song of the Czech people.
Lessons from His Life
- To rulers, he is a model of governing with charity, humility, and justice.
- To the faithful, he shows the power of steadfastness in the faith, even when surrounded by pagan hostility.
- To all Christians, he is an example of forgiving one’s enemies, even unto death.
📖 Collect (Traditional Roman Missal):
O God, Who didst teach Thy blessed martyr Wenceslaus to prefer the kingdom of heaven to all perishable things: mercifully grant that, by his prayers, we may learn to despise the things of earth and to love those of heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ…