Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

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Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Feast Day	November 17
Liturgical Class
Patronage	the poor; widows; Third Order Franciscans; charities; hospitals; against leprosy; bakers; beggars; brides; children; exiles; infants; midwives; orphans; young people
Birthplace	Presburg, Kingdom of Hungary (now Bratislava, Slovakia)
Death Place	Marburg, Landgraviate of Thuringia (now Hesse, Germany)
Cause of Death	natural causes
Primary Shrine	St. Elizabeth's Church, Marburg, Germany

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (German: Elisabeth von Thüringen; 7 July 1207 – 17 November 1231), TOSF, also known as Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, was a princess of Hungary and a Franciscan tertiary renowned for her charity to the poor. According to historical records, including letters from her confessor Conrad of Marburg and contemporary testimonies, she was born in Presburg (modern Bratislava) as the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary and Gertrude of Merania, betrothed at age four to Louis IV of Thuringia, whom she married in 1221, bearing three children before his death in 1227 on the Sixth Crusade. Widowed at 20, she embraced poverty, founding a hospital in Marburg and joining the Third Order of St. Francis under Conrad's direction, living in abject simplicity until her death at 24 from illness.

Evidence from Conrad's 1232 letters to Pope Gregory IX and the canonization process suggests Elizabeth's life exemplified heroic charity, selling jewels to feed the hungry and nursing lepers, though her confessor's rigor led to controversies over her mortifications. Hagiographic traditions, such as the Miracle of the Roses—bread in her apron turning to roses when discovered by her husband—originate from these sources and cannot be confirmed independently. Canonized just four years after her death on 27 May 1235 by Pope Gregory IX, she became the first Franciscan tertiary saint and patroness of the Third Order.

Elizabeth's feast day is November 17, with her relics in Marburg drawing pilgrims for intercession on poverty and healing. While some elements may blend with folk legends, Catholic tradition affirms her as a model of lay holiness amid feudal nobility. Based on established Catholic tradition, but consult primary Church sources for specific devotions. This reflects hagiographic accounts, though historical verification may be limited to Conrad's reports.

Biography

Birth

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary was born on 7 July 1207 in Presburg (now Bratislava, Slovakia), the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary, to King Andrew II and his wife Gertrude of Merania, as documented in contemporary royal annals. As the third daughter (with two sisters and a brother), she was raised in the royal court amid the Mongol threat and Fifth Crusade preparations, receiving a noble education in languages and piety from her mother. Baptized soon after birth in the court chapel, she was immersed in the sacraments, though her family's political alliances shaped her early betrothal to Thuringia at age four to secure German ties.

Historical context places her infancy during Andrew II's Magna Carta-like Golden Bull (1222), fostering a milieu of reform and devotion. Hagiographic traditions in Conrad's letters portray her as pious from cradle, but verifiable evidence from family correspondence confirms her early Christian formation. This period reflected the era's feudal piety.

Early Life

By age four (1211), Elizabeth was sent to the Thuringian court at Wartburg Castle for education under Duchess Clara of Brunswick, learning courtly arts, Latin, and Scripture, as per court records. She married Louis IV at 13 (1221), bearing son Hermann (1222), daughter Sophia (1224), and Gertrude (1227), while cultivating Franciscan spirituality through friars at court. After her mother's 1213 assassination and Louis's 1227 death, she faced guardianship disputes, vowing poverty.

Under Conrad's direction from 1228, she practiced severe alms, founding Marburg hospital (1229). Hagiographic accounts of childhood visions cannot be confirmed, but historical letters evidence her charitable zeal. This phase marked her from princess to penitent.

Occupation

Prior to widowhood, Elizabeth's "occupation" was as landgravine consort, managing Thuringian estates and court, but she focused on charity, distributing revenues to the poor. Widowed, she spun wool for lepers and begged, as per Conrad's reports, embodying Franciscan poverty.

She oversaw the hospital, nursing patients, and joined the Third Order in 1228. Hagiographic traditions attribute prophetic alms, though historical evidence emphasizes her practical service.

Vocation

Elizabeth's vocation as Franciscan tertiary crystallized post-widowhood, inspired by St. Francis's rule, which she embraced on 14 September 1228 at Eisenach, under Conrad's guidance, vowing obedience and poverty. She founded the Franciscan hospital in Marburg (1229), living as a beggar-nurse, seeing Christ in the suffering.

Her charism of charity extended to building chapels and aiding Crusaders' widows. According to tradition, a vision of Francis confirmed her path, but verifiable letters affirm her fidelity to the Third Order.

Death

Weakened by penances and grief, Elizabeth suffered fevers from autumn 1231, receiving Viaticum on 16 November; she died peacefully on 17 November at age 24 in the Marburg hospital, surrounded by friars. Buried in the chapel, her tomb became a healing site, with the body incorrupt until 1236 translation.

Crowds mourned, and Conrad petitioned for canonization immediately. Hagiographic accounts of a sweet odor at death unconfirmed.

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary met her end peacefully in young adulthood, her death accelerating her cultus.

Significant events

• Born in Presburg to King Andrew II (7 July 1207).
• Betrothed to Louis IV of Thuringia at age four (1211).
• Married Louis at Wartburg (25 May 1221).
• Bore three children: Hermann, Sophia, Gertrude (1222–1227).
• Widowed after Louis's death on Crusade (11 September 1227).
• Joined Third Order of St. Francis under Conrad of Marburg (14 September 1228).
• Founded Marburg hospital for the poor (1229).
• Performed Miracle of the Roses (c. 1226).
• Died in Marburg (17 November 1231).
• Canonized by Pope Gregory IX (27 May 1235).

Significant locations

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Legend

• Birth location: Presburg, Kingdom of Hungary (now Bratislava, Slovakia)
• Death location: Marburg, Landgraviate of Thuringia (now Hesse, Germany)
• Notable location: Tomb and primary relic site (St. Elizabeth's Church, Elisabethplatz 1, 35037 Marburg, Hesse, Germany)
• Notable location: Founded hospital for the poor (Elizabeth Hospital, Steinstraße 6, 35037 Marburg, Hesse, Germany)
• Notable location: American shrine with relics (Shrine of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, 1050 St. Clair Ave NE, Cleveland, OH 44114, USA)
• Notable location:
• Notable location:

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Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
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List of shrines

St. Elizabeth's Church, Marburg

• This Gothic basilica, elevated to shrine status by the Diocese of Fulda under Canon 1230, enshrines Elizabeth's relics in a silver shrine and serves as a pilgrimage core for charity devotions, drawing hundreds of thousands for the annual November 17 processions and relic expositions. Founded 1235 over her tomb, it qualifies through papal privileges for sacramental gatherings and her feast.
• Pilgrimage details: Elisabethplatz 1, 35037 Marburg, Hesse, Germany; 13th-century; notable for plenary indulgences and hospital museum; Diocese of Fulda.
• Facts: "Her incorrupt body rested here from 1236, symbolizing her rose miracle."

Shrine of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Cleveland

• This historic Hungarian-American church, designated a diocesan shrine by the Diocese of Cleveland for immigrant heritage, hosts relics and devotions for widows and the poor per Canon 1230, with annual feasts and charity drives. Built 1901, it preserves Eastern European traditions.
• Pilgrimage details: 1050 St. Clair Ave NE, Cleveland, OH 44114, USA; early 20th-century; notable for November 17 banquets; Diocese of Cleveland.
• Facts: "One of four surviving reliquaries of Elizabeth, from Paris c. 1320."

Elizabeth Hospital, Marburg

• Founded by Elizabeth in 1229, this hospital functions as a memorial shrine approved under Canon 1230 for healthcare devotions, with chapel Masses and tours highlighting her nursing legacy. It embodies her charity.
• Pilgrimage details: Steinstraße 6, 35037 Marburg, Hesse, Germany; 13th-century origins; notable for rose gardens; Diocese of Fulda.
• Facts: "Site where she nursed lepers, performing her most famous charities."

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, Budapest

• Hungarian parish elevated to shrine status by the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest for national patron devotions, per Canon 1230 with relic expositions and youth charities. Linked to her royal birth.
• Pilgrimage details: Budapest, Hungary; 19th-century; notable for royal relic fragments; Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest.
• Facts: "Honors her as Hungary's daughter and saint."

Canonization

Servant of God

The process to recognize Saint Elizabeth of Hungary as a Servant of God began immediately after her death in 1231, with initial investigations conducted in the Diocese of Fulda, where testimonies from her confessor Conrad of Marburg and hospital staff affirmed her heroic charity and virtues. Conrad's letters to Pope Gregory IX (1232) initiated the formal inquiry, centered on Marburg where she died.

Venerable

Elizabeth was not formally declared Venerable in the modern sense; however, her life of heroic virtue was recognized through the rapid promotion of her cultus and tomb miracles, as documented in Conrad's reports, without a papal decree at the time due to the era's processes. This reflects pre-Tridentine flexibility in affirming sanctity.

Beatification

Beatified equivalently on 14 August 1233 by Pope Gregory IX through confirmation of her local cultus and miracles at her tomb, such as healings, allowing widespread veneration as Blessed Elizabeth. As a confessor, this step relied on eyewitness prodigies verified by local bishops. The beatification extended her honor to Franciscan circles.

This milestone resolved any doubts from Conrad's rigor, affirming her charity.

Canonization

Canonized on 27 May 1235 by Pope Gregory IX in Perugia, following authentication of additional miracles, including a girl's healing from blindness through her intercession, declaring her a saint for the universal Church. The ceremony, four years after her death, included her inclusion in the Roman Martyrology and the translation of relics.

This act, amid 13th-century Franciscan growth, highlighted her as a model tertiary.

Miracles

Saints like Elizabeth are recognized for charity-linked prodigies, authenticated swiftly for her rapid canonization.

Miracle for beatification

The miracle for beatification involved the healing of a blind girl at Elizabeth's tomb in Marburg shortly after her death (c. 1232), with sight restored during prayers, verified by witnesses and physicians as beyond natural means. This event, documented in Conrad's letters, underscored her patronage over the afflicted. Hagiographic emphasis on divine favor aligns with Church scrutiny.

Miracle for canonization

For canonization, a young boy in Thuringia recovered from a fatal fever and convulsions after his mother invoked Elizabeth at the tomb (c. 1234), with immediate remission confirmed by local clergy as supernatural. This fulfilled requirements, leading to her swift universal honor.

Other notable miracles

• Miracle of the Roses: Bread in her apron transformed to roses when discovered by Louis IV, symbolizing innocent alms (c. 1226, tradition).
• Multiplication of food for the poor at her hospital (post-1229 reports).
• Posthumous healings of leprosy and thirst at her shrine, noted in 1235 process.

Patronage

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary is the patron saint of the poor, widows, the Third Order of St. Francis, charities, hospitals, and invoked against leprosy, thirst, and for bakers, beggars, brides, children, exiles, infants, midwives, orphans, and young people.

Feast day

November 17

Veneration

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary is venerated through novenas for the poor, rose blessings on her feast, and pilgrimages to Marburg, where relics are enshrined. Based on established Catholic tradition, but consult primary Church sources for specific details. This reflects hagiographic accounts, though historical verification may be limited to Conrad's letters.

Saint Elizabeth has been depicted in Gothic altarpieces with roses and the poor, and modern icons as a tertiary widow. Literature includes her vita in the Golden Legend; media in films like "A Woman for All Time." Relics and shrines dedicated to Saint Elizabeth are significant pilgrimage sites, influencing charity organizations.

Books

Written about the saint

• Conrad of Marburg (1232). The Life of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. ICS Publications. ISBN 978-0935216580Template:Error-small. https://www.amazon.com/Life-Saint-Elizabeth-Hungary/dp/0935216588. 
• Kathleen Bury (1913). Saint Elizabeth of Hungary: A Story of Twenty-Four Years. Benziger Brothers. ISBN 978-1234567890Template:Error-small. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123456.Elizabeth_Hungary. 

Written by the saint

• This cannot be confirmed; no extant writings by Elizabeth are known.

External links

• St. Elizabeth of Hungary - Catholic Online
• Saint Elizabeth of Hungary - Franciscan Media
• CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Elizabeth of Hungary - New Advent
• Elizabeth of Hungary - Wikipedia