Saint Andrzej Bobola

Andrew Bobola, SJ (Polish: Andrzej Bobola; 1591 – 16 May 1657) was a Polish missionary and martyr of the Society of Jesus, known as the "Apostle of Lithuania" and the "hunter of souls". He was beaten and tortured to death during the Khmelnytsky Uprising. He was canonized in 1938 by Pope Pius XI. The progenitor of the Bobola family is believed to have been Bobola, who lived in the first half of the 13th century in Silesia. He was a subject of Duke Henry the Bearded and a łązęka—a free peasant farmer. It is possible that he was already granted knightly status and the Leliwa coat of arms. He certainly founded the family seat in Bobolice. However, only a few decades later, his heirs lost Bobolice to the Cistercians from Henryków for raubritterism. In the first half of the 14th century, the Bobola family appears in the circle of the powerful Tarnowski family, also bearing the Leliwa coat of arms, as well as at the Polish royal court, where they gained considerable influence. Over time, the family expanded, although many of its branches maintained a middle-class status. The exact origins of Andrew Bobola were a matter of controversy, as various armorials and biographies offered conflicting accounts. According to Father Jan Poplatek, a Jesuit and researcher of the saint's life, Andrew Bobola came from a more prominent branch of the Bobola family. His grandfather was said to be Jan Bobola of Piaski, the administrator of Jarosław, owner of several villages, and holder of a house in the Podgórze, near Kraków. This property was reportedly granted to him in recognition of his services by Kings John I Albert and Alexander Jagiellon. Jan had several children, among them Krzysztof, who, from his marriage to Elżbieta Wielopolska, had three sons: Jan, Andrzej, and Mikołaj. Andrzej achieved the highest position, becoming the Grand Chamberlain of the Crown and a royal secretary.