Compiled by Emily Dykman
On September 28 the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Wenceslaus, Duke of Bohemia. Prior to being named San Damiano Chapel, our university chapel, was previously known as St. Wenceslaus Parish.
St. Wenceslaus church and school was founded by Bohemian Catholics when they arrived in La Crosse in 1855. The current church building was dedicated in 1915 and the current campus ministry house was the parish rectory, built in 1908. St. Wenceslaus parish was an important part of the neighborhood and had a long-standing relationship with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Many members of the parish entered the convent including Sr. Grace Clare Beznouz, who was instrumental in founding the Viterbo nursing department, and many of the FSPA taught at the parish school.
The story St. Wenceslaus has been captured in the Christmas carol that sings of Good King Wenceslaus who is the patron saint of Bohemia. Franciscan Media shares the following about the story of St. Wenceslaus.
REFLECTION:
St. Wenceslaus sought to establish peace in the midst of division and unrest. As our world continues to be divided by polarization, how might we work toward peace following the example of St. Wenceslaus. What are we willing to sacrifice for the work of peace?
St. Wenceslaus’ Story
If saints have been falsely characterized as “other worldly,” the life of Wenceslaus stands as an example to the contrary: He stood for Christian values in the midst of the political intrigues which characterized 10th-century Bohemia. Wenceslaus was born in 907 near Prague, son of the Duke of Bohemia. His saintly grandmother, Ludmilla, raised him and sought to promote him as ruler of Bohemia in place of his mother, who favored the anti-Christian factions. Ludmilla was eventually murdered, but rival Christian forces enabled Wenceslaus to assume leadership of the government. His rule was marked by efforts toward unification within Bohemia, support of the Church, and peace-making negotiations with Germany, a policy which caused him trouble with the anti-Christian opposition. His brother Boleslav joined in the plotting, and in September of 929 invited Wenceslaus to Alt Bunglou for the celebration of the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian. On the way to Mass, Boleslav attacked his brother, and in the struggle, Wenceslaus was killed by supporters of Boleslav. Although his death resulted primarily from political upheaval, Wenceslaus was hailed as a martyr for the faith, and his tomb became a pilgrimage shrine. He is hailed as the patron of the Bohemian people and of the former Czechoslovakia.
Click here for the lyrics to Good King Wenceslaus.