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Saint Matilda
Saint Matilda

Saint Matilda

Feast Day
Mar 14, 2013
Patronage
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<p><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Patronage &ndash;</strong> </span>Death of Children, Disappointing Children, Falsely Accused People, Large Families, People Ridiculed for Piety, Queens, Second Marriages, Widows</p> <p>St. Matilda was the Queen of Germany, and the wife of King Henry I.&nbsp; She was brought up at the Monastery of Erfurt.&nbsp; King Henry was married to a young widow, and his marriage had been declared invalid.&nbsp; At this point, he asked Matilda to marry him in 909.&nbsp; They had several children, Otto I &ndash; Emperor of Germany, Henry &ndash; Duke of Bavaria, St. Bruno &ndash; Archbishop of Cologne, Gerberga &ndash; wife of Louis IV of France, and Hedwig &ndash; the mother of Hugh Capet. &nbsp;</p> <p>In 912, Matilda&rsquo;s husband succeeded his father as Duke of Saxony, and in 918 he became King Conrad of Germany.&nbsp; As Queen, Matilda was humble, pious, generous, and was always ready to help the oppressed and unfortunate.&nbsp; She had a wholesome influence over his husband, King Henry I.&nbsp; After his reign of seventeen years, he died in 936.&nbsp; She inherited all of his possessions, numerous and in many locations throughout Germany.&nbsp; It was the king&rsquo;s wish that his eldest son, Otto should succeed him, but Matilda wanted her son Henry to take the Royal throne. &nbsp;</p> <p>Otto pleaded that he was the first-born son, so Matilda had some nobles cast their vote for Henry, but Otto was elected and crowned King in 936.&nbsp; Three years later, Henry revolted against his brother Otto, but was unable to take the crown from him.&nbsp; Matilda then made Henry the Duke of Bavaria.&nbsp; It wasn&rsquo;t long after that however, the two brothers joined in persecuting their mother, whom they accused of having impoverished the crown by her lavish almsgiving.&nbsp; St. Matilda, in an effort to satisfy her sons for her helping the Church and the poor, renounced her possessions and retired to her villa at Engern in Westphalia.&nbsp; Shortly after when misfortune overtook her sons, Matilda was called back to the Palace, and both Otto and Henry begged her pardon. &nbsp;</p> <p>St. Matilda built many churches, and founded or supported numerous Monasteries.&nbsp; Her main foundations were the monasteries at Quedlinburg, Nordhausen, Engern and Poehden.&nbsp; She spent many days at these monasteries and was especially fond of Nordhausen.&nbsp; She died at the Convents of Sts. Servatius and Dionysius at Quedlinburg. &nbsp; She was buried there by the side of her husband, and was venerated immediately after her death for her heroic generosity and charity towards the Church and those in need. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Practical Take Away</strong></span></p> <p>St. Matilda was the Queen of Germany, and the wife of King Henry I.&nbsp; She was brought up at the Monastery of Erfurt.&nbsp; She was the mother of King Otto I, emperor of Germany, and Henry, the Duke of Bavaria.&nbsp; She was also the mother of St. Bruno, the Archbishop of Cologne. Her husband King Henry died early in their marriage, and she spent a lot of her inheritance on almsgiving, and building many churches and monasteries.&nbsp; She led a life of helping those in need, and is venerated for her charity to the church.&nbsp;</p>