St. Adalbert better known in Polish as St. Wojciech, reputedly of Bohemian (Czech) origin was born in 956. He was an accomplished scholar at the German archepiscopal school in Magdeburg and an aggressive missionary in northern Poland where he converted many to Roman Catholicism. He also tried to convert the Slavs around Kiev, but was driven out by Greek monks from Constantinople, who were there first His ventures into Old Prussia originally the home of a Baltic people the Prusai, related to the Lithuanians and Latvians were less fruitful. Perhaps they simply could not understand him or he violated their pagan sanctuaries and sacred groves in the manner of St. Boniface who cut down oaks sacred to the Germans. Or, they may have been satisfied with their own many gods, who they believed served them well. There was no need for a foreign faith. He was martyred by the Prusa or Old Prussians much to their later regret. Subsequently they were slaughtered by the Teutonic Knights and totally obliterated as a nation. Many Polish American churches in the USA are named after him.

11.75"W X 13.75"H