Andrew Zorard ( Hungarian: ''Zoerárd András'', ''Szórád'', ''Zoárd'';

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

: ''Andrzej Świerad'', ''Żurawek'', ''Żórawek'', ''Świrad'', and ''Wszechrad''; Slovak: ''Svorad'', ''Andrej Svorad'',

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

: ''Sverad'';

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

: ''Zoërard'',

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

: ''Zoerardus'') was a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk originating from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

but active in

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

(then

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

), who is venerated as a saint in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and the Orthodox Churches

Life

Zorard was born around 980 in

Opatowiec Opatowiec is a small town in Kazimierza County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Opatowiec. It lies in Lesser Poland, on the left bank of the River Vistula ...

, a small village in Poland. A tradition in the small village of Tropie holds that in his youth he lived near there as a monk. At around the year 1000, at about the age of 20, he began living as a hermit and a missionary, evangelizing in Olawa, Silesia (modern Poland). At some time, he also traveled to northern Hungary (Slovakia) Around the year 1003 Zorard settled in St. Hippolytus Monastery on Mt. Zobor near

Nitra Nitra (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. It is located 95 km east of Bratislava. With a population of about 78,353, it is the fifth l ...

- then part of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

, present day

. He became a

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monk in the Abbey. He took the name "Andrew". There he became the spiritual guide of

Benedict of Skalka Benedict of Skalka or Szkalka ( hu, Zoborhegyi Szent Benedek, sk, Svätý Benedikt pustovník) (10th century –d. 1012), born ''Stojislav'' in Nitra, Hungarian Kingdom (modern day Slovakia), was a Benedictine monk, now venerated as a saint. He ...

. Zorard and Benedict, with the permission of their superior Philip, later left the monastery and became hermits in a cave along the Váh River near Skalka nad Váhom not far from

Trenčín Trenčín (, also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 55,000, which makes it the eighth largest muni ...

. Andrew died of natural causes around 1009. He practiced such severe austerities that, according to legend, the iron chain, which he wore wrapped around the belt, eventually grew into his body. Benedict continued to live in the cave for three years until he was murdered by a gang of thieves looking for treasure. In 1083 Zorard's relics were transferred to St. Emmeram's Cathedral in Nitra where they remain to this day. A biography of Benedict and Zorard was written by Maurus of Nitra, Bishop of Pécs, in which it says that Zorard led a hermit life living in a small cave near the monastery. The cave has since been called ''Svoradova'' (Zorard's).

Feast Day and veneration

Paul Bril and Wenzel Coebergher - Andrew Zorard as a hermit

Andrew is venerated especially in Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland, but also in diaspora communities of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. His feast day is 17 July, but in some calendars he is venerated together with Benedict on 13 June. King

Géza I of Hungary Géza I (; hu, I. Géza; 104025 April 1077) was King of Hungary from 1074 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Béla I. His baptismal name was Magnus. With German assistance, Géza's cousin Solomon acquired the crown when his fathe ...

declared him one of the patron saints of Hungary. Zorard died around 1009. As early as 1064, Géza took the first steps towards his canonization. The cult of Zorard was officially confirmed in July 1083 by Pope Gregory VII, thanks to the Hungarian King Ladislaus I. Zorard's remains are located in the St. Emmeram's Cathedral in

References

External links

Saint Benedict of Szkalka
at Patron Saints Index
Andreas Zorard

{{DEFAULTSORT:Andrew Zorard Slovak Roman Catholic saints Polish Roman Catholic saints Hungarian Roman Catholic saints 11th-century Christian saints Medieval Hungarian saints 10th-century Polish people 11th-century Polish people 11th-century Hungarian people Hungarian hermits :Medieval Slovakia

Life

Feast Day and veneration

References

Further reading

External links