Ceslaus of Silesia, Bl.
CESLAUS OF SILESIA, BL.
Dominican missionary priest; b. Kamien, Poland, c. 1184; d. Wrocław, Poland, July 15, 1242. He was probably of the noble Polish family of Odrowaź, a relative of St. hyacinth and the famous Bishop Iwo Odrowaź of Cracow. Hyacinth and Ceslaus, both canons of the cathedral of Cracow, joined the dominicans in Rome c. 1218. Ceslaus established the first house of his order in Prague, Bohemia, and preached throughout the neighboring countries. The center of his activity was in Poland, where about 1224 he founded the Dominican priory at Wrocław and became its prior. He also served as spiritual director of St. hedwig. Through his prayers, Ceslaus is credited with saving Wrocław from the siege of the Tartars (c. 1240–41). His long-standing cult was confirmed by Pope clement xi in 1713.
Feast: July 17, July 20 (Wrocław).
Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum July 4:182–199. b. altaner, Die Dominikanermissionen des 13. Jhs. (Habelschwerdt 1924) 212–218. a. zahorska, Illustrowane Żywoty Świętych Polskich (Potulice, Pol. 1937) 143–151. m. niwiŃski, in Polski Słownik biograficzny (Cracow 1938) 4.4:357. p. david, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart (Paris 1912–) 12:252–253. j. kloczowski, Dominikanie polscy na Śląsku w XIII–XIV wieku (Lublin 1956) 147.
[l. siekaniec]