You may know St. Wenceslaus better than you think, he is in fact, the “Good King Wenceslas” from the Christmas carol penned in the 19th century.

He was born in 907 near Prague, the son of the Duke of Bohemia, raised and educated as a Christian by his paternal grandmother, Ludmila, who herself became a saint. The land of Bohemia at this time was a place in turmoil. Christianity had not yet taken hold and there were power struggles even within the noble family. When Saint Wenceslaus’ father died, his Christian grandmother became regent. However, his mother who may have been a pagan or at least held anti-Christian sentiments, upset at being overlooked, had Ludmilla killed. Wenceslaus, though young, eventually prevailed. 

He ruled from 921-929, working at unification, he supported the Church building many churches, including the rotunda of Saint Vitus at Prague Castle. And like in the carol, he cared for sick, poor, widowed, and orphaned in his kingdom. To make peace with Germany, Wenceslaus recognized King Henry the Fowler as the successor of Charlemagne, which put Bohemia under King Henry. The peace was not a popular move with the non-Christian sects and nobles who wanted to remain outside of German rule.

Legend holds that his brother, Boleslaus the Cruel, led some anti-Christian movements. WhetherBoleslaus plotted to murder Saint Wenceslaus, or they just had a disagreement that ended in his death, it is generally accepted that the saint was killed by Boleslaus or his men. His last words were to forgive his brother.

Saint Wenceslaus was immediately recognized as a martyr for the faith and sainted. The Holy Roman Emperor Otto, I posthumously gave him the title “king.” He is the first Czech saint and the patron saint of the Czech state.