St. Wenceslaus

Their story

Wenceslaus was born around 907, the son of the Duke of Bohemia, in what is now the Czech Republic. His grandmother, St. Ludmila, raised him in the Christian faith. After his father died, his mother ruled for a time and opposed the Christians, and Ludmila was murdered. When Wenceslaus came of age, around 925, he took over the government. Wenceslaus ruled as a Christian prince. He supported the Church, brought in priests to teach the people, built churches and worked for justice and peace with neighboring lands. He was known for his generosity to the poor, the sick and widows. Centuries later the English carol "Good King Wenceslas" celebrated his charity, telling of the duke carrying food and firewood through the snow to a poor man. Some nobles resented his faith and his policies, and they found an ally in his younger brother, Boleslaus. In 935 Boleslaus invited Wenceslaus to a feast. The next morning, as Wenceslaus was on his way to Mass, his brother and his companions attacked and killed him at the church door. Tradition says his last words were, "Brother, may God forgive you." He was soon honored as a martyr, and he is the patron of the Czech people.