Saint Vincent - City's Patron

St. Vincent, a martyr from the II century of Christianity, is a patron of Przemyśl. The Franciscan order in Przemyśl are the watchmen who are guarding his relics.

Saint Vincent lived in the II century in Rome. He was spreading the gospel, and because of that was accused of insulting the roman gods and the ceasar. With the use of tortures, he was pressured to recant his faith. Eventually he payed the highest price for what he believed in and the Church made him a martyr. The relics of st.Vincent found their way to Franciscan church in Przemyśl, in XVI century, and as rumour says a few miracles happened afterwards.

The first miracle occured in 1657, while the Rakoczy’s army from Transylvania, along with Tatars, tried to conquer Przemyśl. The endangered citizens and Franciscans organised a procession with saint’s relics and displayed them afterwards in one of the city’s entrance. Because of that the hostile forces withdrew. This miracle was portrayed in painting, which is currently on display in Franciscan church in Przemyśl over the entrance to the choir.

The second miraculous event happened when st.Vincent shown himself on a sky, when the city was threatened by a fire. To commemorate this event, the jewish citizens of Przemyśl, who had seen st.Vincent, established a tradition of providing a tallow for theFranciscan chuch’s lights. The third wonder was the miraculous cure of Marcin wachowicz, a blind person who was praying in front of st. Vincent drawing.

Worshipping st.Vincent in Przemyśl has a long tradition. During the postwar period, the festival was limited to a ceremonial liturgy in the last sunday of August in the Franciscan Church in Przemyśl. In the 90’s the local government of Przemyśl and Franciscans returned to an old tradition of worshipping the City Patron’s Day and called it WINCENTIADA.

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