Saint Vojtěch

• his name means „he who brings consolation and reinforcement“
• he was born about the year 956 in Libice
• belonged to the Slavnik´s dynasty

It is believed, that his clerical career began thanks to his parents. When Vojtěch fell ill during his childhood, his parents promised his clerical education in case of his cure. He studied in Magdeburg (972 – 981). He took on the name Vojtěch Adalbert on his confirmation. On 19 February 982 he became the Bishop of Prague.

He required clerics to observe celibacy; he fought against the pagan hangover in society and against the polygamy. However his struggle was not approved by Boleslaus II. Because of disagreements with Boleslaus II he left Bohemia and resigned from his bishop cloths and went to Rome to Pope John XV.

In year 992 Boleslaus I asked Vojtěch to come back. Vojtěch founded the first Benedictine monastery in Břevnov near Prague (the first one for men in our country). In 994 Vojtěch left his homeland definitively, but a year later Boleslaus II had the whole Slavnik´s dynasty in Libice murdered and the only surviving members of the family were Vojtěch and his brother Soběslav. That is why Vojtěch decided to return to his homeland, but on his way home he found out that he is not welcomed in Bohemia, so he stayed at the court of Boleslaus I the Brave in Poland and became a missionary in Prussia.

On 23 April 997 Vojtěch and his fellows were attacked by the Prussians. His fellows were released but Vojtěch was killed by a spear, his head was cut off and his body was skewered on a stick. Boleslaus I the Brave bought his body back and buried it in Gniezdno. In 999 Vojtěch was canonized by Pope Silvestre III.

In 1053 Břetislav I retrieved the remains of Saint Vojtěch and moved them in Prague.
Both in the Czech Republic and in Poland saint Vojtěch is benefited as a regional patron saint. He is considered to be an author of the Czech and Polish religious hymn „Hospodine, pomiluj ny“ or „ Boqurodzica“.

Saint Vojtěch is depicted as a bishop with a palm sprig, with an implement of martyrdom – an oar, a spear and a halberd, also with scales, a rose on the shield, a mitre, a crosier and a book.