Michał Giedroyć

Arriving in Krakow in 1460 or 1461, Michał took his vows with the Canons Regular of the Penance of the Martyrs (the Markowie). Although he refused priestly ordination out of humility, he obtained a bachelor's degree in liberal arts at the Krakow Academy in 1465. He chose to lead a hidden and laborious life as the sacristan of St. Mark's Church in Krakow. Living in a tiny cell, he spent long hours maintaining the sanctuary and became a sought-after spiritual advisor despite his stutter.

Michał's life is part of the Devotio moderna movement. He practiced rigorous asceticism with harsh mortifications and strict fasts. His spiritual life was based on the Passion of Christ, praying for long hours before the crucifix in St. Mark's Church (where Christ is said to have spoken to him), and on Marian devotion before the icon of Our Lady of Giedroyć. During his lifetime, he was gifted with the powers of prophecy and miracles, notably for extinguishing fires.

From his death in 1485, his cult was established spontaneously. His relics were exhumed in 1624 and placed in a sarcophagus. Although a formal process was initiated in the 17th century, political unrest interrupted it. The cause was relaunched in the 1980s. On November 7, 2018, Pope Francis authorized the decree confirming his cult ab immemorabili, equivalent to an equipollent beatification. A solemn mass of thanksgiving was celebrated in Krakow on June 8, 2019, by Cardinal Becciu.

Michał Giedroyć leaves behind the image of a man who transformed his physical suffering into a path of union with God. He is the patron saint of sacristans, the sick and disabled, and the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow. He is also the co-patron of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Hedwig the Queen. Pope John Paul II cited him among the great figures of the Krakow 'century of saints'.