Blessed Chester
Blessed Chester is linked with St. Hyacinth and Blessed Bronislawa, since they all were from the village of Kamien. Blessed Chester was born in 1177. He studied in Paris, Prague, and Bologna and was associated with Bishop Iwo Odrowaz as a canon. He was sent to work with St. Dominic with St. Hyacinth. In 1220, while with St. Dominic, Blessed Chester saw St. Dominic resusciatate the sister-in-law of Cardinal Tassanovi. This act prompted Blessed Chester to join the Dominicans. He was invested by Saint Dominic himself.
There is a legend about St. Chester:
It seems that he had difficulty with his studies, from time to time, and then one day he and St. Hyacinth were reciting in the monastery garden. The statue of the Virgin Mary was in this same garden and St. Hyacinth advised him to pray Our Lady, the seat of Wisdom. Chester did pray to the Virgin Mary and never had trouble again.
Chester then returned to Cracow in 1222. Bishop Iwo welcomed him back. Saint Hyacinth was the prior of the monastery. He sent Blessed Chester to Prague to establish another monastery there. In Wroclaw, the bishop received Chester and his companions. Blessed Chester then was given the Chuirch of St. Adalbert (Wojciech). Chester was the prior there until 1233, and provincial from 1233 to 1236. Blessed Chester died July 15, 1242, while priot of the monastery.
Blessed Chester is reputed to have saved the city of Wroclaw from the Tartars in 1241. The name Chester means :rejoice in your name." While Chester was provencial, he attended the general chapter in Bologna and the canonization of St. Dominic, in Rome, in 1234.
Researched and written by Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska
