Editing Andrew Bobola

{{Short description|Polish Catholic priest and saint (1591–1657)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox saint
| honorific_prefix=[[Saint]]
| name=Andrew Bobola
| honorific_suffix=[[Society of Jesus|SJ]]
| birth_date=1591
| death_date=16 May 1657
| feast_day=16 May
| venerated_in=[[Catholic Church]]
| image=Bobola.jpg
| imagesize=
| caption=
| birth_place=[[Strachocina]], [[Sandomierz Voivodeship|Sandomir Palatine]], [[Lesser Poland]], [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland]], [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]].
| death_place=[[Ivanava|Janów]], [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]], Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
| titles=Martyr of Poland
| beatified_date=30 October 1853
| beatified_place= [[Rome]], [[Papal States]]
| beatified_by=[[Pope Pius IX]]
| canonized_date=17 April 1938
| canonized_place= [[Vatican City]]
| canonized_by=[[Pope Pius XI]]
| attributes=
| patronage=Poland; [[Archdiocese of Warsaw]]
| major_shrine=Shrine of Saint Andrew Bobola, [[Warsaw]], [[Poland]]
| suppressed_date=
| issues=
| prayer=
| prayer_attrib=
}}

'''Andrew Bobola''', [[Society of Jesus|SJ]] ({{langx|pl|Andrzej Bobola}}; 1591 – 16 May 1657) was a Polish [[missionary]] and [[martyr]] of the [[Society of Jesus]], known as the Apostle of Lithuania and the "hunter of souls".<ref>{{cite book |last=Merrick  |first=David Andrew |title=Saints of the Society of Jesus: With a sketch of the Society |publisher=William H. Sadlier |year=1891 |page=[https://archive.org/details/saintssocietyje00merrgoog/page/n24 16] |url=https://archive.org/details/saintssocietyje00merrgoog   }}</ref> He was beaten and tortured to death during the [[Khmelnytsky Uprising]]. He was canonized in 1938 by [[Pope Pius XI]].

==Life==
The progenitor of the Bobola family is believed to have been Bobola, who lived in the first half of the 13th century in Silesia. He was a subject of Duke [[Henry the Bearded]] and a łązęka—a free peasant farmer. It is possible that he was already granted knightly status and the [[Leliwa coat of arms]]. He certainly founded the family seat in [[Bobolice, Lower Silesian Voivodeship|Bobolice]].{{Sfn|Popłatek|1936|p=18}} However, only a few decades later, his heirs lost Bobolice to the Cistercians from Henryków for [[Raubritter|raubritterism]].{{Sfn|Popłatek|1936|p=18}}

In the first half of the 14th century, the Bobola family appears in the circle of the powerful [[Tarnowski family]], also bearing the Leliwa coat of arms, as well as at the Polish royal court, where they gained considerable influence.{{Sfn|Popłatek|1936|p=19}} Over time, the family expanded, although many of its branches maintained a middle-class status.{{Sfn|Popłatek|1936|p=19-20}}

The exact origins of Andrew Bobola were a matter of controversy, as various armorials and biographies offered conflicting accounts.{{Sfn|Popłatek|1936|p=295-296}}

According to Father Jan Poplatek, a Jesuit and researcher of the saint's life, Andrew Bobola came from a more prominent branch of the Bobola family. His grandfather was said to be Jan Bobola of Piaski, the administrator of [[Jarosław]], owner of several villages, and holder of a house in the [[Podgórze]], near [[Kraków]]. This property was reportedly granted to him in recognition of his services by Kings [[John I Albert]] and [[Alexander Jagiellon]].{{Sfn|Popłatek|1936|p=298-299}}

Jan had several children, among them Krzysztof, who, from his marriage to Elżbieta Wielopolska, had three sons: Jan, Andrzej, and Mikołaj. Andrzej achieved the highest position, becoming the Grand Chamberlain of the Crown and a royal secretary. Jan was a landowner and the father of, among others, Sebastian, a Jesuit and university professor, and Kacper, a canon of Kraków and royal secretary. The third brother, Mikołaj, heir to the estate of Strachocina near Krosno, was the father of Saint Andrew Bobola.{{Sfn|Popłatek|1936|p=26}}

Bobola was born in 1591 into a noble family in the [[Sandomierz Voivodeship]] of the [[Kingdom of Poland]], then a constituent part of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. In 1611 he entered the [[Society of Jesus]] in [[Vilnius]], then in the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]], the other part of the Commonwealth. He subsequently [[profession (religious)|professed]] [[solemn vows]] and was [[Holy orders|ordained]] in 1622, after which he served for several years as an advisor, preacher, superior of a Jesuit residence, and other jobs in various places.<ref name="CE">{{Catholic |wstitle=St. Andrew Bobola |first=F. M. |last=Rudge |volume=1}}</ref>

From 1652 Bobola also worked as a country "missionary", in various locations of Lithuania: these included [[Polotsk]], where he was probably stationed in 1655, and also [[Pinsk]], (both now in [[Belarus]]). On 16 May 1657, during the [[Khmelnytsky Uprising]], he was captured in Pinsk, and then killed in the village of Janów (now [[Ivanava]], Belarus), by the [[Cossacks]] of [[Bohdan Chmielnicki]].<ref name="CE" />

Several descriptions of Bobola's death exist, with these invariably involving him being subjected to a variety of tortures before being killed:
*One account states that Bobola "had just offered up the [[Eucharist in the Catholic Church|holy sacrifice]]" when the Cossacks entered Pinsk; upon seeing them, he believed his death to be imminent and thus "fell upon his knees, raised his eyes and his hands [and] exclaimed, 'Lord, thy will be done!'". He was then captured and stripped of his habit, tied to a tree, and had a crown placed on his head, after which he was scourged, burnt with torches, and had an eye torn out; a sword was used to carve shapes resembling a [[tonsure]] and a [[chasuble]] into his head and his back respectively. The Cossacks also removed the skin from his fingers and forcibly inserted needles under his fingernails. Bobola continuously prayed for his torturers until his tongue was torn out and his head crushed, thereby killing him.<ref>{{cite book |last=Daurignac  |first=J. M. S. |title =History of the Society of Jesus From Its Foundations to the Present Time (Volume II) |publisher=John P. Walsh |year=1865  |pages=12–13 |url=https://archive.org/stream/societyofjesus02dauruoft#page/n17/mode/2up/search/bobola }}</ref>
*A second account states that the Cossacks first tried to make Bobola renounce his religion; when he refused, he was stripped, tied to a hedge, and whipped. A crown of twigs was mockingly placed on his head and he was then dragged to a butcher's shop where, after continued refusals to renounce his faith, the skin was torn off his chest and back and holes were cut into his palms. Bobola was subjected to further tortures for two hours before having an awl driven into his heart, being strung up by his feet, and being killed with a sabre just as a Polish rescue party entered Janów.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.standrewbobola.com/who-is-st-andrew-bobola|title=Who is St. Andrew Bobola? - St. Andrew Bobola Parish, Dudley, MA|website=www.standrewbobola.com|language=en-gb|access-date=21 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104090851/http://www.standrewbobola.com/who-is-st-andrew-bobola|archive-date=4 January 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*A third account states that Bobola was seized and severely beaten by two Cossacks who then tied him to their saddles in order to take him to Janów; there, he was subjected to tortures including burning, strangulation, and flaying, before finally being killed with a sabre.<ref name="CE" />
In contrast to the above, a Russian examination of Bobola's corpse in January 1923 found no traces of gross mechanical violence on the surviving parts of the corpse that could establish cause of death.<ref name=russian>[[s:ru:Акты о вскрытии так называемых мощей католического святого Андрея Боболи. Протокол|Акты о вскрытии так называемых мощей католического святого Андрея Боболи. Протокол]]</ref>

==Veneration==
[[File:Catholic Church in Janaŭ.jpg|thumb|Andrzej Bobola memorial church in Janów Poleski, 19th-century image]]
Bobola's body was originally buried in the Jesuit church in Pinsk. It was later moved to their church in Polotsk.<ref name=CE /> By the beginning of the 18th century, however, nobody knew where Bobola's body was buried. In 1701 Father Martin Godebski, S.J., the [[rector (academic)|rector]] of the Pinsk College, reputedly had a vision of Bobola. This caused him to order a search for the body. It was reportedly found completely [[incorrupt]], which is recognized by the Church and its supporters as evidence of holiness. 

[[File:Il Gesù 014.JPG|thumb|left|upright|The altar with the relics of the arm of Andrew Bobola in the church of Il Gesù in Rome.]]
On 23 June 1922, the coffin with the relics of Andrew Bobola was opened in Polotsk and an examination was carried out. In December 1922, the coffin with the corpse of Andrew Bobola was delivered to Moscow and placed in the hall of the Popular Exhibition on Health Protection of the People's Commissariat for Health. In January 1923, he was examined by a special commission and an act was drawn up, according to which the corpse of Andrew Bobola is a naturally mummified corpse, which is in the stage of slow decomposition. The results of the examinations were published in 1924 in the journal [[w:ru:Революция и церковь|''Revolution and Church'']].<ref name=russian /> Later described by an American journalist as a "remarkably well-preserved mummy",<ref name=time/> to the Museum of Hygiene of People's Commissioners of Health in [[Moscow]].  The whereabouts of the remains were not known to the Catholic authorities, and [[Pope Pius XI]] charged the Papal Famine Relief Mission in Russia, headed by American [[Jesuit]] Father [[Edmund A. Walsh]], with the task of locating and "rescuing" them.<ref name=time/> In October 1923—as a kind of "pay" for help during famine—the remains were released to Walsh and his assistant director, Father [[Louis J. Gallagher]], S.J.  Well-packed by the two Jesuits, they were delivered to the [[Holy See]] by Gallagher on [[All Saints' Day]] (1 November) 1923.<ref name=time>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100826083859/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,931017,00.html "Religion: Saints"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. 25 April 1938. (The ''Time'' article says that Walsh personally transported the Holy Relics from Moscow to [[Rome]];  but this is apparently a mistake, both since Gallagher (1953) describes his own role as a diplomatic courier with the relics, and McNamara (2005), p. 45, mentions that Walsh stayed behind in Moscow after Gallagher's departure, and only left Moscow on 16 November 1923, and arrived in Rome on 3 December. The author of the book explicitly says [http://irishcatholichumanist.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html in his blog] that Gallagher was entrusted with that task.)</ref><ref name=poplatek>{{cite book |url=http://www.milosierdzie.info.pl/BAnB1936.pdf |author=Jan Popłatek |title=Błagosławiony Andrzej Bobola |trans-title=Blessed Andrew Bobola |year=1936 |pages=250–253 |language=pl |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100331090243/http://www.milosierdzie.info.pl/BAnB1936.pdf |archive-date=31 March 2010  }} This book uses as one of its sources L. J. Gallagher's article, "How we rescued the Relics of Blessed Andrew Bobola" (1924), which unfortunately was not available to this contributor.</ref> In May 1924, the relics were installed in Rome's [[Church of the Gesù]], the main church of the Society of Jesus.<ref name=poplatek/>

Since 19 June 1938 the body has been venerated at a shrine in [[Warsaw]],<ref name="sj">{{Cite web |url=https://jesuits.eu/news/375-andrzej-bobola-the-patron-of-unity-and-peace |title=Andrzej Bobola, patron of unity and peace |last=Dziemska |first=Anna |date=28 May 2017 |website=Jesuits in Europe |publisher=Society of Jesus |language=en-gb |access-date=14 May 2018 }}</ref> with an arm remaining at the original shrine in Rome (see photo at left).

Declared [[Beatification|blessed]] by [[Pope Pius IX]] on 30 October 1853, Bobola was [[canonized]] by [[Pope Pius XI]] on 17 April 1938.<ref name="sj"/> His [[calendar of saints|feast day]] was originally celebrated by the Jesuits on 23 May,<ref name="CE"/> but it is now generally celebrated on 16 May.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://jesuitinstitute.org/Pages/Liturgy/Calendar.htm |title=Jesuit Liturgcal Calendar |publisher=The Jesuit Institute |access-date=14 May 2018 }}</ref> In 2002, the [[Polish Episcopal Conference|Bishops' Conference of Poland]] declared Bobola a [[patron saint]] of Poland.<ref name="sj"/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Saints}}
* [[List of Catholic saints]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==

* {{Cite book |last=Popłatek |first=Jan |title=Błogosławiony Andrzej Bobola Towarzystwa Jezusowego. Życie - męczeństwo - kult |date=1936 |location=Kraków |language=pl |trans-title=Blessed Andrew Bobola of the Society of Jesus: Life – Martyrdom – Veneration}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070312195714/http://www.am.gdynia.pl/~testep/andreas/index_e.html Andrew Bobola – Saint of the Roman Catholic Church]
* [http://www.stbobola.co.uk St. Andrew Bobola Polish RC Church in London]

{{Jesuits|state=collapsed}}
{{Subject bar |portal1=Saints |portal2= Biography |portal3= Catholicism |portal4= Poland}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bobola, Andrzej}}
[[Category:Jesuit saints]]
[[Category:1591 births]]
[[Category:1657 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Sandomierz County]]
[[Category:17th-century Polish Jesuits]]
[[Category:Polish Roman Catholic missionaries]]
[[Category:Jesuit martyrs]]
[[Category:Polish Roman Catholic saints]]
[[Category:17th-century Polish nobility]]
[[Category:Martyred Roman Catholic priests]]
[[Category:17th-century Christian saints]]
[[Category:17th-century Roman Catholic martyrs]]
[[Category:Incorrupt saints]]
[[Category:Burials at the Church of the Gesù]]
[[Category:Patron saints of Poland]]