Albert Chmielowski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SaintAlbert Chmielowski TOSF |
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 Jastrzębiec coat of arms |
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| Born | Adam Hilary Bernard Chmielowski 20 August 1845 Igołomia, Małopolskie, Congress Poland |
| Died | 25 December 1916 (aged 71) Kraków, Kingdom of Poland |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 22 June 1983, Kraków, Poland by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 12 November 1989, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
| Feast | 17 June |
| Patronage |
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Saint Albert Chmielowski (born Adam Hilary Bernard Chmielowski; August 20, 1845 – December 25, 1916) was a Polish man who became a Franciscan (someone who follows the teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi). He was also a talented painter and a soldier who was injured in a war. He is best known for starting two groups, the Albertine Brothers and Albertine Sisters, who helped people who were homeless and very poor.
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Life Story of Saint Albert
Albert Chmielowski was born in a town called Igołomia, near Kraków in Congress Poland. He came from a noble family. He was the oldest of four children.
Sadly, he became an orphan at a young age. His father passed away when Albert was eight, and his mother died ten years later. His aunt, Petronela, then took care of him and his siblings. After being taught at home, Albert went to study farming at the Puławy Polytechnic Institute. He hoped to manage his parents' land one day.
Fighting for His Country
Albert became involved in politics and joined the January Uprising in 1863. This was a fight for Poland's independence from Russia. During a battle, a Russian grenade exploded, killing his horse and badly hurting his leg. His leg had to be removed.
He was taken to a cabin where Russian soldiers found him. The captain knew who he was. Albert bravely said, "Give me a cigar – that will help me pass the time," before the operation. The surgery was done without any pain medicine. Albert offered his great suffering to God and for Poland's freedom.
Later, he escaped from a hospital hidden in a coffin! He then got a wooden leg. Because of the harsh actions of the Russian government, Albert had to leave Poland. He went to Ghent, Belgium, where he continued his engineering studies. There, he found he was also very good at painting.
His Time as a Painter
In 1870, Albert joined the Munich Art Academy. He became friends with famous Polish artists. He painted many pictures and showed them in Poland, becoming a popular artist.
Over time, his paintings started to show religious themes. One of his most famous works is Ecce homo, which means "Behold the Man." This painting shows Jesus Christ. It is now in the chapel of the Albertine Sisters in Kraków.
Albert Chmielowski created 61 oil paintings, 22 watercolors, and 15 drawings. Some of his well-known works include After the Duel and Little Girl with a Dog. He worked as a painter until 1875. He believed that art should be "the friend of man."
He lived in Warsaw for a while before settling in Kraków. But he didn't like being famous and even felt sad sometimes. He cared deeply about people and saw the suffering of the poor. He felt he had to help them and volunteered at homeless shelters in Kraków. After much thought, Albert decided to stop painting. He chose to live among the poor and even live like a beggar.
His Religious Calling
While working on a painting of Christ, Albert felt a strong call to serve God. In 1880, he joined the Jesuits, a Catholic religious order. However, he soon realized this path was not for him. He then discovered the Rule of Saint Francis of Assisi, which greatly inspired him.
On August 25, 1887, he joined the Third Order of Saint Francis and took the religious name, Albert. He made his first promises to God and moved into a public shelter where he had been volunteering. In 1888, he made his final promises.
On August 25, 1888, he started the Servants of the Poor. Then, on January 15, 1891, with Maria Jabłońska, he founded a similar group for women, the Albertine Sisters. Both groups worked to provide food and shelter for people who were homeless and very poor.
His Passing
Saint Albert Chmielowski passed away at noon on December 25, 1916. He died from stomach cancer in the very shelter he had created to help others. He was buried in the Rakowicki Cemetery.
His Lasting Impact
On November 10, 1938, he received a special award after his death, the Order of Polonia Restituta, for his great service to Poland.
Karol Wojtyła, who was a priest in Poland in 1949, wrote a play about Albert called Brother of Our God. This play was later made into a movie. Pope John Paul II later said that Albert's life helped him greatly in his own religious journey. He saw Albert as an example of choosing to serve God and the poor, even if it meant leaving behind a successful art career.
Becoming a Saint
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The process to make Albert Chmielowski a saint began in 1966. In 1977, Pope Paul VI declared him Venerable. This meant that Albert had lived a life of great goodness and faith.
Pope John Paul II, who was very inspired by Albert, beatified him in 1983 during a visit to Kraków. To be beatified means to be declared "Blessed," a step before becoming a saint. Later, Pope John Paul II canonized him (declared him a saint) on November 12, 1989, in Saint Peter's Square in Vatican City.
His special day of celebration in the Church is June 17. This date was chosen because his death date, December 25, is Christmas.
Gallery
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Portrait of Sygietyński
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Cmentarz włoski - Italian cemetery at dusk
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Chmielowski's Ecce Homo, 1879
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Czarnokozince
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Girl with a hat
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Zawale
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Abandoned parsonage
