St. Hedwig (1174-1243)
St. Hedwig is the patroness of all mothers. She was of the royal house of Poland and founded many monasteries. She is also the aunt of St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
This past century, we have been inundated with propaganda regarding an anti-Christian women's liberation movement, commonly referred to as feminism. As many of you know, this modern feminist movement is born from the bowels of communistic and free masonic thinking. It does not liberate, but only enslaves our society - especially women and families - further into the mire of sin. In fact, the attack upon the family and its destruction is one of the principal errors of Communism and works hand-on-hand with its avowed atheism. Communism can't succeed without destroying the family, and the family can't be destroyed unless woman, the bulwark of family and social life, is completely undone. At Fatima, our Lady prophesied these would be spread throughout the world. (If you are unfamiliar with this assertion, I would highly encourage you to read up on this, especially through any works by Cornelia Ferreira on the subject.) However, if we only look to our own faith - to our traditions and saints - then we see the truth and expose the errors. We have truly awe inspiring examples of heroic, courageous and saintly women. Surely, not one of today's "modern feminists" could hold her own against the remarkable and truly inspiring female saints, such as Saint Hedwig. Here are just a few brief details about her life.
A SAINTLY FAMILY
St. Hedwig was one of eight children from the royal house of Silesia (today mostly in Poland, but parts in Germany and the Czech Republic). Two of her brothers became bishops, one sister became a great abbess, and another of her sisters married into the royal house of Hungary and became the mother of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. St. Hedwig was educated in a monastery and at age 12 was married to Henry I of Silesia (1186 AD). Henry was an excellent Christian prince and together with his wife, he ruled admirably, encouraging great progress in society through the development of religion, culture, commerce and virtue. They expanded their realm peacefully and helped bring the Christian civilization to outlying areas. St. Hedwig's prudence, fortitude and piety won her great admiration from all as well as respect and influence in the government. In particular, she gave her support to new monastic foundations and assisted those already in existence.
It was primarily through the flourishing of these monasteries that a superior civilization was spread throughout her lands. (Many people today do not realize that for many centuries, civilization in Europe only flourished and was extended through the monastic system. They were centers of learning, agriculture, knowledge, culture, virtue, prosperity, help to the sick and destitute, faith and religion, and so much more.) Europe has never recovered to this day from the demise of the monastic system that resulted from the spread of the protestant revolt. St. Hedwig helped establish several new monasteries, convents, and hospitals. She brought new religious orders to Silesia, including the first religious house for women in her country (Cistercians).
One of her daughters, Gertrude, was betrothed to a nobleman and Hedwig's family suffered much on account of this unholy agreement. Gertrude's vile husband-to-be murdered his rivals and the Church subsequently annulled their betrothal. Thus Gertrude vowed to live a life of penance and mortification in reparation! In other words, to atone for the evil committed by a man whose betrothal to her was annulled due to the public scandal of his behavior, she vowed to accept an ascetic life of great penance, prayer and mortification. (What an example for us today!) Gertude entered the newly founded Cistercian monastery for women religious. Eventually she became its abbess, and after her death she was beatified by the Church. Gertrude always looked to her mother as a mentor and great example.
Hedwig and Henry had seven children, but suffered much sorrow, as several of them died in childbirth and youth. In fact. Gertrude was Hedwig's only child to outlive her. One of her sons died from an equestrian accident and another died in battle against the Tartars. After the death of their seventh child, and with the approval of the Church, Hedwig convinced her husband Henry to live a Josephite marriage. Thus, after nearly twenty five years and seven children, they both took a solemn vow of chastity before the Bishop of Breslaw (1209 AD). Duke Henry accepted the tonsure and became a brother in the Cistercian order, though he continued to rule Silesia as an even holier ruler. Hedwig then spent much of her time at the Cistercian Abbey of Trebnitz, that she might devote herself unreservedly to exercises of mortification, acts of piety, and works of charity. Yet her tribulations were not to cease.
A HEROIC WOMAN
In the year 1227, her husband and a fellow nobleman (Duke Lesko) were treacherously attacked by a beloved friend, the Duke of Pomerania. Henry was severely wounded. Hedwig promptly rushed to his aid and nursed her husband back to health. Duke Lesko however died and war broke out between Henry and his betrayer, the Duke of Pomerania, and the man who had corrupted him, Conrad of Masovia. Although of noble blood, Conrad was virtue-less and sought to gain Henry's rule by any means possible. Thus he set his avaricious eyes on the prize city of Cracow. Yet Henry defeated these revolutionary usurpers in battle and valiantly defended his realm. Then the sacrilegious Conrad ambushed Duke Henry while he was assisting at Holy Mass, and imprisoned Henry within his fortress at Plock (far to the north and away from Henry's base of support).
For her part, Hedwig immediately set out on a perilous journey in order to come to the aid of her husband yet again. To ransom the captives is a corporal work of mercy, and she felt compelled to perform this work as a Christian and as a wife. Like Queen Esther of old, she appeared alone and defenseless at court in Plock and received an audience with her husband's unjust captor. There her very person, virtue, dignity and holiness made such a powerful impression upon the malicious Conrad that he agreed to release her husband and to cease all hostilities toward Duke Henry. (This is the true power of a woman, and it stems from her strong display of virtue which in turn compels a man to act uprightly.)
A HOLY DEATH
After the natural death of her husband (1238 AD), Hedwig took the grey habit of the Cistercians. Yet she was not allowed to become a religious out of obedience, for the abbess preferred that Hedwig might retain the right to spend her revenues in charities. (As a religious she would have had to take the vow of poverty and would not have been able to use this great wealth of the realm to help many in need). This was difficult for St. Hedwig because she longed to be a religious, but accepted this trial as one of obedience and humble submission to the Divine Will of Christ, her King. Instead, the Duchess practiced a life of severe mortification and excessive spiritual and corporal works of mercy. She spent the remainder of her life doing good for others: caring for the poor and sick and creating foundations that would help further this charitable work. Her interior life of prayer fueled these efforts and she daily practiced an intense supernatural meditation. Her piety and virtue won her the reputation as a saint even while she was yet living. She was finally called to her heavenly home when she was nearly 70 years, (1243 AD) and even at this age she was still spending all her energies in prayer, penance and works of charity. Her body was interred in the church of the monastery where she lived (Trebnitz) and she was canonized by Pope Clement IV in 1267 AD. She remains the patron saint of Silesia and a patron saint for all mothers.