As bishop, he preached his faith devotedly to the poor. He visited the poor in their villages and prisoners in their jail cells. His desire to convert the Magyars, peasants of the region, was constantly challenged by the nobility. They did not want to be seen with or worship with the peasants.

Discouraged by his inability to convert the non-believers and to get Christians to live decent lives, Adalbert left Prague for Rome. However, it wasn't long before Pope John XV sent him back to Prague. Upon his return to Prague, everything seemed to be going well. It was then that Adalbert established the famous Benedictine Abbey at Brevnov.

Everything changed then. St. Adalbert gave sanctuary in his church to a woman of nobility convicted of adultery. When she was dragged from the church and murdered, St. Adalbert excommunicated all those involved in the killing. Aggravating many with his actions, he was forced to leave Prague.

He achieved success in his missionary work, especially in Gdansk. A rumor spread that he was a Polish spy and he was ordered to leave. When he refused, he was murdered. On April 23, 997, the young missionary bishop was martyred for his strong beliefs by seven spears.

In spite of great effort, prayer and commitment, Adalbert was not able to achieve the amount of success that he wanted. The land that he wanted to convert, he could not. Adalbert made many sacrifices to spread his love for Jesus and His Gospel. When he faced opposition he stood up for his faith; when he was discouraged, he worked harder; when he was told to abandon his beliefs, he gave his life.

For more information on St. Adalbert, an article titled St. Adalbert Martyred 1000 Years Ago written by Jan Steven Zaleski for the Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan's journal The Eaglet (May 1997 issue) appears here with permission and in kindness.