Having no one who spoke the language, Dominic asked Ivo to leave his priests to be trained, promising to send them back as apostles. Trusting the grace of that moment, they agreed. Dominic gave them the habit, became their novice master and in six months they were on their way. The Order and the faith grew as Hyacinth preached in Poland, Scandinavia, Prussia, and Black Russia overcoming all kinds of obstacles. The Cuman Tartars terrorized everyone.

Nothing deterred Hyacinth. When they laid siege to Kiev, threatening the Dominican monastery, Hyacinth led the friars to safety carrying the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance lest it be desecrated. As he was doing so, he passed an alabaster statue of Our Lady, and heard these words in his heart: “Will you abandon me to the Tartars? Take me with you.” “How can I carry such a weight,” he asked. “My Son will make it light for you,” she said. Statues of Hyacinth portray this event.

Hyacinth teaches us to trust the grace of the present moment, and never to let fear paralyze us. We pray to him to set our hearts o fire for the Gospel, to deepen our reverence for the Eucharist, and to believe Mary’s promise that her Son will make our burdens light.