Saint Lidwina of Schiedam

Today's saint of the day is St. Lidwina of Schiedam.

Born: April 18, 1380

Died: April 14, 1433

Canonized: March 14, 1890, by Pope Leo XIII

Feast Day: April 14

Patron Saint of: skaters

Also known as Lydwina of Shiedam, Lydwid and Lidwid.

Saint Lidwina was born of a poor family in Schiedam, Holland, the only daughter of nine children. At a very young age, Lidwina found herself totally devoted to the Blessed Virgin. At the age of fifteen she fell on the ice and suffered a broken rib. Although she was treated by physicians, her rib never healed and gangrene set in, followed by numerous complications. This injury caused her to be an invalid for the last thirty-eight years of her life. For seventeen years, she could move no part of her body except, very slightly, her head and left arm. She ate almost nothing and began losing her eyesight.

After her mother’s death, she sold the furnishings she had inherited and gave the money to the poor. When her brother died, she paid his debts and helped support his orphaned children.

Saint Lidwina was given the gift of visions. During these visions, her guardian angel sometimes took her to Bethlehem or Calvary. In one of the visions she saw a rosebush and an inscription that read: "When this shall be in bloom, your suffering will be at an end." In the spring of 1433, she said that she saw the rosebush of her vision. On Easter morning of that year, she had a vision of Jesus administering the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. She died on April 14th of that year. There were many miracles recorded by those that visited her in her bedroom during her suffering.
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