GISELA, QUEEN AND ABBESS

GISELA, QUEEN AND ABBESS - 7 MAY

GISELA, QUEEN AND ABBESS

(Gisela, Regina Abbat.)

The name Gisela (Gisala, Gisula [Giselle]) is either derived from the Old German word geisel, meaning gift, pledge etc.; according to others, the name stands for the powerful, the strong. Yet others reckon it is a form of the name Elizabeth; in Hungarian it is said to mean victory.

This lady blessed by God was a daughter of Henry II (Heinrich II) of Bavaria and a sister of Emperor Saint Henry II (Heinrich II). The bishop Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg (Ratisbon) educated them in all knowledge, virtue and fear of God. Gisela was given in marriage to King Stephen of Hungary; the wedding apparently took place at the castle chapel at Scheyern. Stephen was still a heathen at the time, and through Gisela's zealous efforts, she won not only the king, but also the majority of his subjects to Christianity. Not unlike Emperor Henry and his wife Saint Cunigunde, the converted King Stephen and his wife Gisela did everything they could to promote Christianity in the country.

They were primarily concerned with founding and equipping nurseries of the faith, namely churches and monasteries. In particular, Gisela provided the churches with sacred vessels and costly garments. Gisela built the cathedral church of Veszprim from scratch and endowed it with ample income. She also did a great deal for Belgrade and Altbuda. According to Butler (XX. 450) she had stone masons come from Greece, who were commissioned to carry out these buildings in the most beautiful way. Her son, the blessed Emmeric, whom Bishop Gerhard educated in all virtues, followed very much in his pious parents' footsteps.

In 1045, following the death of her husband, Gisela returned to Germany, she settled at Passau at the Benedictine monastery in Niedernburg, which had been founded in A.D. 738. In 1010, it was completely restored and overhauled by Emperor Saint Henry.

Gisela took a very humble place in this establishment and, without the least airs and graces, underwent all the exercises her religious state required. Later she was elected abbess. She went to her eternal reward on May 7, 1095.

Gisela is listed among the "saints" by some hagiographers and among the "blessed" by others. Since the Bollandists*, however, do not give her any specific predicate, we too wanted to refrain from doing so. Until the time of Emperor Joseph II, the Hungarians made pilgrimages to her grave in large numbers every year. Her veneration continues in the Niedernburg monastery, which has been owned by the "Angelic Maidens" (Englische Fräulein) since 1836. She is buried there next to her aunt Helica, the first abbess of Niedernburg (at the Saint Agatha chapel, which is currently being restored) (II. 133. Bat. XX. 449).

Gisela is also remembered on February 1.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 2, Augsburg, 1861, p. 440)

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

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 ...

BL. LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR 16th century houses, painted by Auguste Mayer He was born in the bishopric of Durham, according to Raissius ; others say at Richmond, in Yorkshire. He was master of arts in one of our universities; but going abroad to Douay, in Flanders, was received into the English college there, 1576, and made priest in 1577; and the year following sent upon the mission. Where he had not been long before he again went abroad, and travelled to Rome, partly for devotion, and partly for further improvement in learning. Here he remained in the English college till 1580, when he returned into England, and was not long after apprehended: for I find by a printed diary of things transacted in the Tower of London from 1580 till 1585, that on the 5th of December, 1580, Luke Kirby, Thomas Cottam , and other priests, were brought to the Tower from other prisons; and that these two, on the 10th...

BL. RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR Richard Newport, alias Smith , was born in Northamptonshire and performed his studies abroad, partly in the college of Rheims (if he be the Richard Smith whom I find in the Douay diary sent to Rome in 1586) and partly in that of Rome, where he was made priest. From thence he was sent upon the English mission, and behaved himself in such a manner as justly to acquire the character of a laborious missionary; being withal remarkably successful in bringing home many strayed sheep to the fold of Christ, to which his apostolical way of living did not a little contribute. He was several times apprehended and cast into prison, and twice banished. His name occurs amongst those who were transported in 1606; at which time, we are told, he took that opportunity of making a pilgrimage to Rome, there to pour forth his prayers at the tombs of the apostles, in behalf of thi...

SAINT FEAST DAY FOR EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR

Search This Blog