St Mechthild of Hackeborn-Wippra was also referred to as Mechtildis of Helfta or Mechtilde of Magdeburg.
She was a Benedictine nun.
She was born in 1241 in Helfta, Saxony, Germany. She died on November 19 1298 at the Helfta monastery.
We celebrate her feast day on November 19 every year in the Catholic Church.
| St Mechthild of Hackeborn Biography | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 1241 |
| Place of Birth | Helfta, Saxony, Germany |
| Profession | Benedictine nun |
| Place of Work | Germany |
| Date of Death | November 19 1298 |
| Place of Death | Helfta Monastery, Germany |
| Feast Day | November 19 |
| Canonization | Pre-congregation |
| Patron Saint of | Against blindness |
St Mechthild of Hackeborn Life History
St. Mechthild of Hackeborn was born in 1241 in her family’s castle near Eisleben, Saxony, Germany. She came from a devout and influential Thuringian noble family, and her older sister had entered a convent.
Mechtilde began her education in a convent at the age of seven and eventually became a nun in Rodersdorf, Switzerland.
In 1258, she moved to the Helfta monastery, where her sister served as the abbess. At Helfta, she took on the roles of a teacher and choir director at the convent school.
Mechthild was not only a visionary and mystic but also a mentor to St. Gertrude the Great, who wrote a book called “The Book of Special Grace” based on Mechthild’s teachings.
Initially, she had concerns that the book might cause trouble, but during prayer, Christ appeared to her, reassuring her not to worry.
She became a highly sought-after spiritual advisor to her fellow nuns, the laity, and learned Dominicans. Some believe she might have inspired the character Matelda in Dante’s “Purgatorio.”
She died on November 19, 1298, at the Helfta monastery. St. Mechthild is known for her patronage against blindness, and there is a well-known miracle associated with her, involving the healing of a blind nun.
In art, she is often represented with a dove on a book, healing a blind nun, receiving a vision of Mary, or alongside St. Gertrude the Great.
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Other Saints Whose Feast Days are in November
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