Saintly Saturday - St. Elizabeth of Hungary

St. Elizabeth of Hungary was born in 1207, the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary & Gertrude of Merania. Her mother was murdered by a Hungarian nobleman when Elizabeth was just six years old.  

In 1221, at the age of 14, she was married to a German nobleman, Ludwig IV (or Louis IV, depending on which source you look to) of Thuringia. This marriage had been arranged by her parents when she was only four years old. They had three children, one of whom became an abbess in Germany.

Elizabeth used her royal position to help others in need, often in secret. Two miracles are said to have occurred years before her death. Upon delivering bread to the poor, her husband stopped her in an effort to ease suspicions she was stealing from the castle. He asked her to reveal the contents under her cloak & when she did, there appeared roses instead of bread.

The other miracle occurred when she had placed a leper in the bed she shared with her husband. Her mother in law informed Ludwig & upon lifting the bed linens, found not a leper, but Christ crucified. 

After only six years of marriage, Ludwig died, leaving Elizabeth grief-stricken. Still thought to be stealing from the palace, her in-laws threw her out. However, her husband's allies came to her aid & she returned to the palace, along with her son who was heir to the throne.

Elizabeth became a Third Order Secular Franciscan in 1228. She spent her remaining years at a hospital she founded, caring for the poor & sick. She died November 17, 1231 at the age of 24. She was canonized by Pope Gregory IX May 27, 1235, just under four years after her death.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary is the patron saint of bakers, the Secular Franciscans, beggars, homeless, the death of children, & Catholic charities. We celebrate her feast day on November 17.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Pray for Us!