St Mechtilde of Hackeborn was also known as Mathilda of Helfta or Matilda of Magdaburg. She is the Patron Saint Against blindness.
St Mechtilde of Hackeborn’s Biography |
|
| Date of Birth | 1241 AD |
|---|---|
| Country of Birth | Germany in Europe |
| Profession | Benedictine nun |
| Place of Work | Helfta, Germany |
| Date of Death | 19 November 1298 |
| Place of Death | Helfta monastery, Germany |
| Feast Day | November 19 |
| Beatification | Pre-Congregation |
| Canonization | Pre-Congregation |
| Patron Saint of | Against blindness |
Saint Mechtilde of Hackeborn Life History
She was born to a pious, powerful Thuringian noble family; her older sister was a nun.
She was educated in a convent from age seven. Mechtilde became a nun at Rodersdorf, Switzerland. She moved to the Helfta monastery in 1258 where her sister served as abbess.
She became a teacher and choir director at the convent school at Helfta. She was a visionary and mystic and also a novice mistress for Saint Gertrude the Great who wrote The Book of Special Grace about Mechtilde’s teachings.
She was initially terrified that the book might cause trouble, but Christ appeared to her in prayer and told her not to worry.
She became a much sought spiritual advisor to her sister nuns, laity and learned Dominicans. May have been the inspiration for the character Matelda in Dante’s Purgatorio.
Today’s Saint Mechtilde of Hackeborn Quote
During her baptism, the priest said these words about her, “What do you fear? This child most certainly will not die, but she will become a saintly religious in whom God will work many wonders, and she will end her days in a good old age.”
Other Saints Whose Feast Days are in November
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