Today's Saint (November 19): Elisabeth of Hungary

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Elisabeth was born the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary in 1207. Later in life she was given in marriage to Louis IV of Thuringia. Married to her handsome, talented and charming husband, she bore him three children. During her marriage, she cared for the poor and orphans, distributed alms and founded hospitals.

With the death of her husband in 1227, she became very distraught and was forced by her relatives to leave her castle. She devoted the rest of her life as a Franciscan tertiary carrying on the work of helping the sick, orphaned and homeless as she had before. However, her confessor, Conrad of Marburg, was very cruel to her, no doubt born out of jealousy of her goodness.

Her austere life and harsh treatment from her enemy led to an early death at the age of 24, in 1231.

The accompanying picture is the stained glass window in Saint Elisabeth of Hungary Catholic Church in Pflugerville, Texas, USA.

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.' . . .'Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." (Proverbs 31:10,31). (The day's lesson from the Book of Proverbs, page F 44, The People's Anglican Missal).

The Day's Propers
Catholic Encyclopedia article

Books Worth Considering
Poverty My Riches : A Study of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, 1207-1231
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
The Oxford Dictionary of Saints (Oxford Paperback Reference)
The Penguin Dictionary of Saints: Third Edition (Dictionary, Penguin)

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