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The saints

St. Hedwig

A duchess who outlived her husband and six of her children, and gave everything to the poor.

Feast: 16 October · 1174 to 1243 · The Middle Ages · Bavaria and Silesia

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Wooden statue of St. Hedwig, crowned, holding a small church.

Matthias Feige, 0006. Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Home / The saints / St. Hedwig

Silesia, the 13th century

Hedwig was married at about twelve to Duke Henry of Silesia.1

They had seven children, and only one daughter outlived her.1

She and Henry founded hospitals and a convent, and she cared for the sick and lepers herself.

Patron of Silesia1

01St. Hedwig

The convent at Trebnitz

After her husband died she lived at the Cistercian convent of Trebnitz, in poverty and prayer.1

Her son Henry was killed fighting the Mongols, and she accepted it with faith.1

Live it this week

Give something you love

Hedwig gave away her wealth and comfort for the poor. This week, give away one thing you really like (not your extras) to someone who needs it more.

Notes

How we know · 1 source for this page
  1. Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), “St. Hedwig”. New Advent edition. newadvent.org

The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) is in the public domain; we quote the New Advent edition. Texts of the Holy See are quoted briefly from vatican.va. Scripture: World English Bible, Catholic edition (public domain); Verse numbers are modern, with Douay-Rheims numbers in brackets where they differ. Photographs: Wikimedia Commons, credited under each image; full list on the photo credits page.

Lines in the narrator’s voice, without a note, are our reflection, not a historical claim. Stone & Incense restates Church teaching in plain words; our wording is not an official Church text. Report an errorCorrections.