The revenge of Stanislaus Kostka
When Fr. David Collins, S.J. was a novice being the youngest of the novitiate class of 87 he had the duty according to Jesuit custom to preach at the community Mass on the feast of Stanislaus Kostka. Not having much devotion for the Saint, and being a no-nonsense type who had little tolerance for the flowery hagiography he found in the Wernersville novitiate library he was at a quandary as to what to say. His solution was to talk about how God works in the saints. His sermon was something like this: Stanislaus Kostka was an insipid 16th century boy saint. I have little devotion for such saints. Having delicate health and being overly sensitive to vulgar language are not traits that recommend themselves to a 20 th century Catholic. What I find interesting is how God worked in this young man and converted him into a saint. The consolation is that if God could convert Stanislaus Kostka into a saint he can convert us into saints too. Young novice Collins sold St. Stanisla