CrucisSt. Procopius of Sázava
St. Procopius of Sázava was born about 970 in Bohemia, in the region of the Czechs, and was educated, according to tradition, in the Slavonic learning handed down from the mission of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Ordained a priest and later embracing the monastic life, he withdrew to live as a hermit in the forest along the Sázava River, where his holiness drew disciples to him.
About 1032, with the support of the Bohemian duke, he founded the monastery of Sázava and became its first abbot. The house became a notable center of the Slavonic liturgy and letters in a land increasingly drawn into the Latin West, preserving for a time the Old Church Slavonic tradition of worship in the vernacular. Procopius governed his monks with fatherly kindness and was revered for his austerity and charity. He died on 25 March 1053 and was canonized in 1204, one of the patron saints of the Czech people. His memory is kept on 4 July.
Selected quotes
“Flee to the solitude of the forest, and there labor and pray before God alone.”
“Drive out the demons of the heart by humility, fasting, and constant prayer.”
“Let the work of your hands and the prayer of your heart rise together as one offering.”