SAINT UNCUMBER - 20 JULY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JULY

Saints celebrated on the 20th of July

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SAINT UNCUMBER

Saint Wilgefortis (Commeria, Kümmernis,[Uncumber]) was the daughter of a pagan king of Provence or Sicily. Her story is found in a church dedicated to her in Neufahrn in Eching, South Germany. She is pictured on the centre peace of the high altar wearing a crown and sporting a beard. The inscription reads: "St Wilgefortis, ora pro nobis." Her legend is related on a board on one of the walls:

A pious man instructed her, whereupon she became a Christian. Following her conversion, she vowed to remain a virgin, like the mother of the Lord. When soon afterwards her father wanted her to be the wife of the pagan king Amasius of Portugal, she steadfastly declared that she was a Christian and would never marry a worldly man. 

HER PRAYER

Enraged by this, her father had her tortured with red-hot tongs and locked her up until she would do his will, and also sacrifice to idols once again. In her prison, the saint begged the Lord to disfigure her so that no man could desire her anymore. In answer to her prayers she now had the appearance of a man, and a rich beard suddenly surrounded her face. When the father saw her again, he was terrified. He asked the virgin who put her in this state. 

Thereupon she confessed to him that she had asked her bridegroom, who died on the cross, to take away all her beauty and make her like him. Then her father almost lost his senses and had her nailed to the cross so that she would be like her bridegroom in that respect too. 

SHE PREACHED FOR THREE DAYS

But she praised God and preached from the cross the three days that she was still allowed to live so emphatically that many thousands were converted to the true Faith and even her father became a Christian. 

To atone for his crime, her father built a church in honour of St Scholastica and set up the image of his daughter in gold. 

MIRACLES

Then many miracles took place, and among others the following: A poor little violinist once prayed in great distress before the image of the saint. Then she threw him one of her golden slippers. When this golden slipper was found on him, he was taken for a thief and sentenced to the gallows. Since all his protestations were of no use, he asked to be allowed to play one more time in the church in front of the saint's picture. And behold, in the presence of the king and all the people, the saint threw the other shoe towards him, too. Thus his innocence was recognised and he was saved from the death sentence.

The body of the saint rests in Steinwart in Sand or Pöringen in Holland. There it was solemnly raised in 1404.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg)

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations