Called the "Apostle of the North", Hyacinth was the son of Eustachius Koński of the noble
family of Odrowąż. He was born in 1185 at the castle of Lanka, at
Kamień, in
Silesia, Poland. A near relative of
Ceslaus, he made his studies in notable cities:
Kraków,
Prague, and
Bologna, and at the latter place merited the title of Doctor of Law and Divinity. On his return to
Poland he was given a
prebend at
Sandomierz, a medieval centre of administration in the
south-eastern part of the country. He subsequently accompanied his uncle
Ivo Konski, the
Bishop of Kraków, to Rome.'' statue of Hyacinth|leftWhile in
Rome, he claimed to have witnessed a miracle performed by
Dominic of Osma, and became a
Dominican friar, along with
Ceslaus and two attendants of the Bishop of Kraków, Herman and Henry. In 1219
Pope Honorius III invited Dominic and his followers to take up residence at the ancient Roman
basilica of
Santa Sabina, which they did by early 1220. Before that time, the friars had only a temporary residence in Rome at the
convent of
San Sisto Vecchio which Honorius III had given to Dominic in about 1218, intending it to be used for a reformation of Roman
nuns under Dominic's guidance. Hyacinth and his companions were among the first to enter the convent. They were also the first
alumni of the studium of the
Dominican Order at
Santa Sabina out of which would grow the 16th century College of Saint Thomas at
Santa Maria sopra Minerva, which became the
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the 20th century. After an abbreviated
novitiate, Hyacinth and his companions received the
religious habit of the Order from Dominic himself in 1220. Tradition holds that he also
evangelized throughout
Sweden,
Norway,
Denmark,
Prussia,
Scotland,
Russia,
Turkey, and
Greece. However, these travels are heavily disputed and are not supported by the earliest
hagiographies of Hyacinth. ==Legend==