St. Stanislaus was born near Krakow on July 26th, 1030. He was ordained a priest and was preacher and archdeacon to the Archbishop. He was ordained as Bishop of Krakow in 1072.

During his time as Bishop, he became involved in a political situation in Poland. He spoke out against the king, Boleslaus, who was leading unjust wars and performing immoral acts in the government. The king excused himself, but then went back into his old ways. St. Stanislaus continued to oppose the king for his many unjust acts and in the end, he excommunicated the king. The king became very angry and forced his soldiers to kill St. Stanislaus. The soldiers refused, and thus, the king killed him himself in 1079. Afterwards, the king spent the rest of his life as penitent in a Benedictine Abbey in Osiak, Hungary.

The first native Polish Saint, he is the patron of Poland, where his feast in celebrated May 8. His remains are venerated in the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow, the episcopal see of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla before his election to the papacy.

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