St Stan Illustrated Story

112 T radition has preserved for us a number of examples of Father Papczynski’s gift of prophecy. These predictions, improbable as they appeared at the time, were fulfilled in every detail years later. In the autumn of 1697, king August II, on his way back to Warsaw from his coronation in Cracow, spent a night with his retinue at New Jerusalem. Among the many who were then received in audience by the king was Fr. Stanislaus. After the audience, the Saint happened to overhear a chance remark made by one of a group of the senators who had accompanied the king: “yes, we chose him as our king, and it was a good choice; but he will not live long; he is too fat!” On hearing this, Fr. Stanislaus said to them: “My Lords, you are mistaken. The king will live a long time. He will live for as many years as I have here golden coins that he gave me.” Thereupon he opened his hand and began to count the coins that he had just received from the king. There were thirty-five of them. king August lived exactly thirty-five years after this incident!