Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

Patroness of the Secular Franciscan Order

Feast Day November 17

Saint Elizabeth, a Hungarian princess, was betrothed at age four in
1211 to Ludwig, a prince of the German principality Thuringia. The
marriage, which proved to be a happy one, took place when Elizabeth was only
14 years old. Although Elizabeth was surrounded by the luxury of the court,
the young princess had a deep concern for those less fortunate than herself.
She provided food for hundreds of people at the castle gate every morning,
and she visited the sick twice a day.

Elizabeth was so compassionate that she once allowed a dying leper to
rest on the bed she shared with her husband. When Ludwig heard this, he
rushed into the room and tore off the bedcovers. But instead of a leper, he
saw a vision of the crucified Christ on the bed.

When famine and epidemic struck Thuringia, Elizabeth earned the
affection of the people by organizing relief for those in need. She ordered
the royal granaries open to feed the hungry and she sold her jewels to build
hospitals to care for the sick.

Ludwig, who is honored as a saint in Germany, fully supported his
wife's efforts, but her unceasing charity annoyed his family. They saw
Elizabeth's generosity as an "extravagance" and an unnecessary drain on the
royal treasury. After Ludwig's death during the Crusades in 1227, their
criticism of Elizabeth intensified.

Feeling unwelcomed at court, Elizabeth joined the Third Order of St
Francis in 1228. She continued her work for the poor - sometimes fishing in
nearby streams to provide food - for the rest of her brief life, despite ill
health. On her deathbed, the 24-year-old Elizabeth directed all her worldly
goods be given to the poor.

We Pray:

St Elizabeth of Hungary, patroness of the Secular Franciscan Order, you
followed St Francis of Assisi in your roles as wife, mother, Princess and
Secular Franciscan by faithfully performing corporal and spiritual works of
mercy. By your example and prayers, assist me in finding my way of
following St Francis in my vocation as a Secular Franciscan.