ST RICHARDIS, FOUNDRESS

ST RICHARDIS, FOUNDRESS - 18 SEPTEMBER

SAINT RICHARDIS, FOUNDRESS

Richardis undergoing ordeal by fire.
Painting by Dierec Bouts

Richardis (Rigarda), a daughter of Count Erchanger (Erchangar) of Alsace, was the wife of Emperor Charles the Fat, whom she got married to in 862.

HER HUSBAND ACCUSED HER OF UNFAITHFULNESS

The capricious, almost stupid man suddenly, after many years of marriage, accused her of unfaithfulness. [Charles claimed she had an affair with Bishop Liutword of Vercelli. Some suspect the reasons for this accusation were political. Richardis denied the charges, and even underwent trial by fire, a barbaric procedure that "proved" she was innocent.]

SHE FOUNDED THE ANDLAU MONASTERY

Vindicated, Richardis left Charles and founded the Andlau Monastery (Andlavia Eleon) on her father's estate near Schlettstadt in the year 880 and also contributed her ancestral estates in Maistrazheim and Krautergersheim towards this laudable cause. She also built a church in Sigolsheim and facilitated renovations for the Ebersheimmünster monastery (Stivagium).

SHE DISTRIBUTED HER BELONGINGS TO THE POOR AND TO THE MONASTERIES

She distributed everything that was belonged to her to the poor and to the monasteries she founded. It is not known for sure whether she took the religious vows. It is more likely that it did not happen, since she is mentioned everywhere only as the founder, not as a real member of the monastery.

HER DEATH

She died on September 18, 893 or 894 (according to others already 888). Her grave was glorified by many miracles. In 1049 the solemn exaltation of her holy body took place under Pope Leo IX. This elevation is considered a canonisation. Since then she has been venerated as a saint in Germany in the diocese of Strasbourg, and in France, especially in Etival, where relics of her are to be found.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 5, Augsburg, 1882)

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Richardis may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org

WELCOME

Please pick your saints: January - Saints by date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 February - Saints by date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 ...

ST JOHN BERCHMANS, RELIGIOUS - 13 AUGUST

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST Saints celebrated on the 13th of August WELCOME! SAINT JOHN BERCHMANS, RELIGIOUS (Patron Saint of Altar Servers.) The eldest boy of a poor cordwainer, in a small Belgian town, John was ever a dutiful, prayerful, and studious child. Our Lord called him when but young to leave his father and his father’s house, to serve Him in the Society of Jesus. And because he was so good a son, it cost his father much to give him up to God; but he was too good a Christian to refuse outright. HE WAS SENT TO ROME John had hardly taken his religious vows when he was sent to the centre of Christendom, the holy city of Rome. His modesty, his purity, shone out as great virtue always does; and the young laymen who attended the lectures would come to gaze upon his beautiful and holy face, and go away the better for the sight. GREAT VIRTUE Three short years, and his last sickness found him sighing for heaven, and three days before the great feast of Mar...

ST LAURA OF CORDOBA, WIDOW AND MARTYR - 19 OCTOBER

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN OCTOBER Saints celebrated on the 19th of October WELCOME! SAINT LAURA OF CORDOBA, WIDOW AND MARTYR Laura, a widow and martyr of Cordoba in Spain, is mentioned in the Spanish martyrology of Tamajode Salazar, who refers to Luitprand, where it says the following: St Laura is said to have been of a noble family, and according to the wishes of her parents she married an equally noble man and gave birth to two daughters. After the death of her husband and her daughters, she went to the monastery of St Aurea, named St-Maria de Cuteclara, and after her martyrdom led the same for nine years as her successor. After she had made wonderful progress in all virtues, she was finally summoned to renounce the faith before a Saracen judge. But since she remained steadfast, she was first beaten very cruelly and then thrown into a bath of boiling pitch, where she remained in praise of God for three hours and then flew to heaven on October...

SAINT FEAST DAY FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR

Search This Blog