Ceslaus Odrowąż
Silesian dominican, Christian saint (died 1242)
Feast: 15 July (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Ceslaus, of the noble Odrowatz family and a relative, probably brother, of St Hyacinth, studied at Prague and Bologna and became a canon at Cracow. In Rome about 1218 he and Hyacinth received the Dominican habit from St Dominic himself, who sent them back as missionaries.
He preached with much fruit around Prague, founded a large monastery at Breslau, and laboured across Bohemia, Poland, Pomerania and Saxony, later becoming provincial of Poland. When the Tatars besieged Breslau, his prayers were held to have saved the city. He died at Breslau about 1242.
The miracles
Always venerated as a saint, he had that honour confirmed by Pope Clement XI in 1713.
Why that counted as sanctity
A Dominican missionary whose prayer defended his people.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
Connected on this site
- Hyacinth of Poland Saint“Ceslaus was born in Kamień Śląski, Poland, of the noble family of Odrowąż, and was a relative, possibly the brother, of Hyacinth of Poland.” — Wikipedia
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Blessed Ceslaus
- Wikidata Q332882 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Ceslaus (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.