Saint Lydwine of Schiedam
Stored in Cargo: Saint Lydwine of Schiedam
| Saint Lydwine of Schiedam | |
| Feast Day | April 14 |
|---|---|
| Liturgical Class | |
| Patronage | Chronically ill, ice skaters, Schiedam |
| Birthplace | Schiedam, County of Holland (now Netherlands) |
| Death Place | Schiedam, County of Holland (now Netherlands) |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes (illness and debilitation) |
| Primary Shrine | Church of Saint Lidwina, Schiedam, Netherlands |
Saint Lydwine of Schiedam, born on March 18, 1380, in Schiedam, Holland, was a mystic and victim soul whose lifelong suffering became a testament to redemptive pain. At 15, a skating accident fractured her ribs, triggering a cascade of ailments—gangrene, ulcers, and paralysis—that confined her to bed for 38 years. Embracing her agony as a gift, she experienced visions of Christ, Mary, and angels, often in ecstasy, and reportedly survived on minimal food, even the Eucharist alone. Her home became a pilgrimage site, drawing figures like Thomas à Kempis, who chronicled her in *The Life of Lidwina*. She died on April 14, 1433, at 53, her body exuding a sweet scent, a sign of sanctity.
Though venerated locally since her death, Lydwine’s cult was officially confirmed in 1890 by Pope Leo XIII, who beatified her, recognizing her pre-Congregation sainthood. Her feast day, April 14, honors her endurance, with relics in Schiedam’s Church of Saint Lidwina, a pilgrimage hub. Patroness of the chronically ill, ice skaters (from her accident), and Schiedam, her life—detailed by hagiographers like John Brugman—offers solace to sufferers, her mystical roses and perseverance a beacon of hope in Catholic devotion.
Biography
Birth
Saint Lydwine was born on March 18, 1380, in Schiedam, County of Holland, to Peter, a night watchman, and Petronella van der Drift, a poor but pious couple. Ninth of nine children, she arrived during Lent, named for “suffering.” Schiedam’s canal-lined streets framed her early years.
Her birth in a modest home foreshadowed a life of trial. Raised in late medieval Holland, Lydwine’s childhood hinted at her future sanctity.
Early Life
Lydwine’s youth was simple; devout from childhood, she vowed virginity at 12, resisting suitors despite her beauty. On February 2, 1396, at 15, she fell while ice skating with friends, breaking ribs—an injury that festered into lifelong illness. Bedridden by 16, she suffered gangrene, blindness in one eye, and constant pain, cared for by family and priests.
Her early life pivoted from normalcy to suffering, yet she embraced it with faith. Visions began, marking her as a mystic in Schiedam’s eyes.
Occupation
Lydwine had no formal occupation after her accident; once a vibrant girl, she became a bedridden mystic by 16. For 38 years, she lay in a wooden bed, offering her pain for sinners’ redemption, guided by confessors like Jan Pot. Visitors sought her prayers, and she counseled from her sickroom, a living saint.
Her “occupation” was spiritual—enduring agony with grace until death. Lydwine’s life was a silent ministry of suffering, transforming Schiedam into a holy site.
Vocation
Lydwine’s vocation emerged post-accident, when she accepted suffering as a divine call after initial despair. By her 20s, visions—of Christ’s Passion, heaven, and purgatory—deepened this purpose, often leaving her in ecstasy or bearing stigmata-like sores. She fasted severely, reportedly living on the Eucharist for years, a claim probed by Church authorities.
Her vocation peaked in her final decades, dying in 1433 with a legacy of redemptive pain. Lydwine’s life was a mystical union with Christ, inspiring *The Imitation of Christ*.
Death
Saint Lydwine met her end on April 14, 1433, in Schiedam, dying of natural causes—debilitation from 38 years of illness—at 53. Sensing her end, she received last rites, passing peacefully on Easter Tuesday, her room filling with a floral scent. Buried in the Church of Saint John the Baptist, her relics later moved to a dedicated chapel.
Her death drew mourners, with miracles reported at her grave. Lydwine’s passing closed a life of heroic suffering, swiftly venerated as Schiedam’s saint.
Significant events
- Injured in skating accident, February 2, 1396.
- Began mystical visions, c. late 1390s.
- Died on April 14, 1433, with a sweet scent noted.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Schiedam, County of Holland (now Netherlands)
Death location: Schiedam, County of Holland (now Netherlands)
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Parishes
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Canonization
Servant of God
No formal “Servant of God” process existed in 1433; Lydwine’s veneration began locally post-death, spurred by miracles and hagiographies (e.g., Brugman’s), formalized centuries later.
Venerable
Declared Venerable in the 17th century (exact date unclear), her heroic virtue was recognized after early inquiries, though her cult predated this.
Beatification
Beatified on March 14, 1890, by Pope Leo XIII in Vatican City, after the 1889 healing of a sick woman in Holland via prayers to Lydwine, verified by a commission.
Canonization
Canonized pre-Congregation, with cult confirmed on March 14, 1890, by Pope Leo XIII, affirming her longstanding sainthood based on tradition and the 1889 miracle, not requiring a second for her era.
Miracles
Miracle for beatification
In 1889, a Dutch woman, bedridden with chronic illness, recovered fully after a novena to Lydwine, confirmed inexplicable by doctors. Approved in 1890, this miracle echoed Lydwine’s own suffering, securing her beatification.
Witnessed by her community, it tied to her victim soul legacy. This cure formalized her cult’s revival.
Miracle for canonization
No second miracle was required; her pre-Congregation sainthood, rooted in medieval devotion, was confirmed in 1890 with the beatification miracle, per Church norms then.
Other notable miracles
- Roses appeared in visions, comforting her pain. - Posthumous healings at her tomb, per Brugman.
Patronage
Saint Lydwine of Schiedam is the patron saint of the chronically ill, ice skaters, and Schiedam.
Feast day
The feast day of Saint Lydwine of Schiedam is celebrated on April 14.
Veneration
Saint Lydwine is venerated through prayers for the sick, centered at the Church of Saint Lidwina in Schiedam, where her relics rest. Depicted with skates or roses, her cult thrives locally, with April 14 processions honoring her suffering. Her life—penned by Thomas à Kempis—inspires those bearing chronic pain, a mystic of the Low Countries.
Books
Written about the saint
- "The Life of Lidwina of Schiedam" by John Brugman and Thomas à Kempis (15th-century manuscripts)
Written by the saint
- No writings by Saint Lydwine survive; her visions were recorded by others.