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Saint John Sarkander
Statue of John Sarkander at Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc
Saint and martyr
Born	December 20, 1576(1576-12-20), Skoczów, Poland
Died	March 17, 1620, Olomouc
Beatified	May 6, 1860, Rome, Italy by Pope Pius IX
Canonized	May 21, 1995, Olomouc by Pope John Paul II
Feast	March 17

Saint John Sarkander (Czech and Polish: Jan Sarkander) (1576–1620) was a Polish and Moravian priest.

He was ordained in 1609 and worked in Holešov from 1616. He was accused of betrayal and tortured in Olomouc prison, partially due to his refusal to divulge what was said in confession.^[1] Today the St. Jan Sarkander chapel stands on the place of his torture. The original torturing rack and Sarkander's gravestone are preserved here. Sarkander was canonized by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Olomouc in 1995.

Frescos in Chapel of Saint John Sarkander in Olomouc:

procession of John Sarkander in Holešov and Lisowczycy

incarceration of John Sarkander

torturing of John Sarkander

relief of torturing of John Sarkander on torturing rack at Sarkander's gravestone

References