The statue is slightly large than life and he is dressed in clerical garb and strikes a dramatic pose.
Born in Central Poland, he eventually moved to Krakow, the then capital of Poland and rose to be the preacher in the court of King Zygmunt III, a role he held for 24 years.
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A Person for our Times
“What St. Paul did for Christianity, Fr. Piotr Skarga did for Poland,” these words were spoken by the Cardinal of Krakow in 1936, during the 400th anniversary of the birth of Fr. Piotr. There's a reason he used this sort of comparison. In following the life story of the Servant of God, we will find many features that point to this. He is an example of a cleric who was demanding and who bluntly admonished the faithful. But he was also a person ON FIRE with faith – without leniency, without bending the commandments of God and the teaching of the Church. He was a counterexample to Martin Luther, who at this very time was “Reforming” the Church in a different way.
He expressed his faith in works and actions, always directed to people living in poverty and misery, who are often treated with contempt. The initiatives of Fr. Piotr survived to today in various forms. They support contemporary spiritual paupers and poor people – all those hungry for love, understanding and mercy.
School of Life
He was born on February 2, 1536 in the Mazowsze (a central region of Poland), in a family of noble origin. He was one of six children of Michal and Anna.
He studied in the Philosophy Department of the Academy of Krakow. He treated the teaching center of Krakow with respect and always valued it. In Warsaw he was rector of a middle school at St. John's Church. At this time, his teaching ability and integrity became recognized by a Senator, and at the same time by the Castellan of Krakow - Andrzej Teczynski, who asked Piotr to take care of forming and educating his son – John. Through this, he spent five years in Vienna and in the court of the Teczynskis. There, other than having a pious lifestyle, he also showed a talent as a preacher. This did not escape the attention of Archbishop of Lwów – Pawel Tarlo, who asked that Piotr would become a deacon-preacher in his diocese. This too took place. Shortly afterwards, he was ordained a priest and received a parish. He quickly became famous for charismatic and moving homilies and once again was promoted, becoming a canon and preacher of the Metropolis of Lwów. From that time he dedicated himself entirely to his new function. He resigned from his parish, and the time that he gained he spent with those in need, visiting hospitals and prisons. He also cared for the spiritual life and respect of the sick and convicts.
Is There Something More?
With increasing frequency, he thought about dedicating himself even more to bringing God closer to people, and people closer to God. He not only preached, but also did penance for sinners. He put more and more emphasis on the fight with heresy, which was appearing more and more often. He was a good advisor and spiritual director. During a conversation with his spiritual dependent – Szymon Wysocki – he was asked for advice about an order where this person would be able to be fulfilled in the service of God. For Father Piotr, only one congregation came to mind and in addition, one that had never been in Poland: The Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits. Their headquarters were in Germany and in Italy. Father Piotr then received a strong urge to join the ranks of the Jesuits together with Szymon. After an appropriate period of discernment, closing all matters and obligations in Lwów, they both went out to Rome. Piotr then was 32 years old.
The Jesuit Path of Piotr
After a two-year novitiate and taking vows, Piotr was sent to Poland. Here he first served as a Jesuit in Pultusk, and then he was sent to Lotwa. He came to an agreement with the then King of Poland – Stefan Bator, who supported him in his work of fighting against heresies (this was a time of the Reformation, after the time of Martin Luther). Thanks to the favor of the king, in Poland and in neighbouring countries further Jesuit colleges appeared, shaping young consecrated-evangelizers. In 1574, he went to Vilnius. When that Jesuit college was shaped into the Academy of Vilnius – he became its first rector. In the meantime, he also contributed to the founding of the colleges in Polock, Ryga and Dorpat.
With a Flourish in Krakow
In the end he settled himself in Krakow, where he became a superior of St. Barbara's Church. In 1588, he was appointed as the preacher in the court of King Zygmunt III. He filled this role for 24 years. He preached fiery sermons, after which many people converted. He prayed a lot before each carefully prepared homily. In addition, he mortified himself, whipping himself and believing that “as much grace will flow to the homily, as pain you take on”. The residents of Krakow really valued his care and reception of their plight. Father Piotr gave them concrete directions how to care for their lives and for each other. He was not paralyzed by the number of people gathered in the church, nor by their rank in society. He cared about the good and the salvation of each of them. He also encouraged people to receive frequent confession and to receive the Holy Eucharist. From the very beginning of his pastoral work, the good of his homeland was in his heart.
Thanks to contacts with the court of the King, he had an awareness of the risks that the Reformation and certain political actions conducive to new trends carry with them. With great devotion he admonished and warned Poles against lukewarmness of faith and indifference to the fate of the nation. He was an ardent patriot, but for his courage and boldness, he was repeatedly persecuted. He prophetically foretold the collapse of the Polish state in his Sejm Sermons - in one of the two most read works of his authorship. The second work, issued several times during his life, was Lives of the Saints. In them, he encouraged the faithful to boldly ask for the intercession of patron saints in every need.
He also cared for the appearance of churches, which was at that time much neglected. Aesthetic sensitivity was intertwined in him with sensitivity to the beauty of the other person. With great humility and respect, he leaned over to serve the person in need. He invented new ways to combat poverty, with which he was often in contact, as he wandered the streets of the royal city of Krakow.
Everything Is Before Us
Father Piotr Skarga lived for 76 years. He died with reputation of sanctity on September 27, 1612 in Krakow and was buried in the Church of St. Peter and Paul at ul. Grodzka, which leads to Krakow's Main Square.
Not long ago, on June 12, 2013 the process of beatification for the Jesuit began. It is possible that we may be witnesses of his beatification, and even his canonization.
Inspired by the exhortations of Fr. Piotr to pray for the intercession of holy people, let us also pray for his intercession before God in our daily affairs!"
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