St. Wenceslaus
He
was born in 907 near Prague, son of the Duke of Bohemia. His saintly
grandmother, Ludmilla, raised him and sought to promote him as ruler of
Bohemia in place of his mother, who favored the anti-Christian factions.
Ludmilla was eventually murdered, but rival Christian forces enabled
Wenceslaus to assume leadership of the government.
His rule was
marked by efforts toward unification within Bohemia, support of the
Church and peace-making negotiations with Germany, a policy which caused
him trouble with the anti-Christian opposition. His brother Boleslav
joined in the plotting, and in September of 929 invited Wenceslaus to
Alt Bunglou for the celebration of the feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian
(September 26). On the way to Mass, Boleslav attacked his brother, and
in the struggle, Wenceslaus was killed by supporters of Boleslav.
Although
his death resulted primarily from political upheaval, Wenceslaus was
hailed as a martyr for the faith, and his tomb became a pilgrimage
shrine. He is hailed as the patron of the Bohemian people and of former
Czechoslovakia.
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