St. Adalbert of Prague

Their story

Adalbert, whose Czech name was Vojtěch, was born around 956 into a powerful noble family in Bohemia, in today's Czech Republic. He was educated at the cathedral school of Magdeburg in Germany, where he took the name of its archbishop, Adalbert, at his confirmation. In 982, while still a young man, he was chosen as bishop of Prague. Adalbert tried hard to reform his diocese. Many of his people were Christian only in name. Some still practiced pagan customs, and some Christians took part in selling slaves. He preached against these evils and gave generously to the poor, but he met with so much resistance that he twice left Prague and went to Rome, where he lived for a time as a Benedictine monk. While he was away, a rival family murdered most of his relatives. Unable to return to Prague, Adalbert turned to missionary work. With the support of the duke of Poland, he set out in 997 to preach the Gospel to the pagan Prussians on the shores of the Baltic Sea. He and his companions were met with hostility, and on April 23, 997, Adalbert was killed by pagan priests. The Polish duke ransomed his body, and he was canonized only two years later. He is a patron of the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, and his witness helped the faith take root in Central Europe.