LAKE JAMES
NORTH CAROLINA
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LAKE JAMES NORTH CAROLINA
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Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Elizabeth’s charity is remembered in numerous hospitals
that bear her name throughout the world. She was born in 1207 at Pressburg (now
Bratislava), the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary. At the age of 14, she
was married to Louis IV, Langrave of Thuringia, to whom she bore three children.
At an early age, she showed concern for the poor and the sick, and so was
particularly
Elizabeth was the first person in Germany to become a member of the Tertiaries (Third Order of Franciscans) and her example encouraged many others to do the same. Eventually, her family agreed to provide her with a small allowance, and she spent her remaining years caring for the sick and the needy. She died from exhaustion at the age of 24. Only four years later, she was canonized as a saint. Together with St. Louis of France, she is a Patron Saint of both the Anglican and Roman Catholic Third Orders of St. Francis. Because her Feast Day (Nov. 19th) falls on a Sunday this year, it gets “bumped” but will be celebrated again in 2007.
Almighty God, by your grace your servant Elizabeth of Hungary recognized and honored Jesus in the poor of this world: Grant that we, following her example, may with love and gladness serve those in any need or trouble, in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Adapted from “Lesser Feasts and Fasts” – Published by the Church Publishing Company ------------------------ To learn more about Saint Elizabeth of Hungary from Wikipedia.org, click here.
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This page last modified on Friday, April 11, 2008 09:39 PM |
attracted to the Franciscans who came to the Wartburg in 1223 and
from whom she received spiritual direction. Her husband was sympathetic to her
devotion and her almsgiving, even allowing her to spend her entire dowry for
that purpose. During a famine and epidemic in 1226, while her husband was in
Italy, Elizabeth sold her jewels so as to be able to establish a hospital where
she herself ministered to the sick and the poor. To supply their continuing
needs, she opened the royal granaries. However, after her husband’s death in
1227, members of the royal court openly opposed her and what they considered to
be her “extravagances” for the care of the sick, and she was forced to flee with
her children, reduced to living in poverty.