Iazech Hyacinth was a Dominican friar and apostle of Poland. Born of a noble Silesian family at Kammiea (Grosstein), he was educated at Prague and Bologna. His uncle, who was bishop of Cracow, appointed him a canon and took him to Rome on church business in 1220.
Here Hyacinth met Dominic, by whom he was dramatically converted. He received the Dominican habit from the Order's founder at Santa Sabina, Rome.
As a first generation friar he was especially important in the Order's expansion, in his case to eastern and northern Europe.
He preached the Gospel with effective eloquence at Cracow and elsewhere in Poland, where he founded five houses of his Order. These became centres of both learning and preaching in the towns where they were situated.
Hyacinth is claimed to have evangelised in Scandinavia, Lithuania and Russia, but the saga like accounts does not inspire confidence. All efforts of the Christian apostate in the area were hindered by Mongol invasions in 1238 and later.
He died on the 15th August and is buried in the Dominican church at Cracow. He was canonized in 1594 and his feast day is the 17th August.
Written and contributed by Phillip Lloyd.
