St. Elizabeth of Hungary

Elizabeth, the daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary, was born in 1207. When she was four, her father arranged for her to marry the son of the Landgrave of Thuringia. Elizabeth was raised in the Landgrave’s court and her future husband, Ludwig became her devoted friend. They were married in 1221, when Elizabeth was fourteen. The young couple was happy together and Ludwig supported Elizabeth’s many charitable activities and prayerful life. They had three children, but Ludwig died in 1227 while on his way to Palestine for a Crusade. Elizabeth, who had just given birth to their last child, devoted herself to serving the poor and to prayer. She had difficulties with Ludwig’s relatives over her generosity to the poor and by some accounts she was driven from her castle home. Other accounts say that she left voluntarily. She became a Franciscan Tertiary and lived as the poor lived. Elizabeth of Hungary died in 1231. Many miracles occurred at her grave and the process of canonization was soon started. Elizabeth of Hungary was canonized in 1235.