Saint of the Day: St. Elizabeth of Schönau

St. Elizabeth was a Benedictine mystic -- a visionary, who was favored with ecstasies, and the gift of prophecy. She also suffered the assaults of demonic forces.

Elizabeth was born in Bonn, Germany, in 1126. She entered the double monastery of Schönau in Nassau at the age of twelve and made her profession at the age of 21.

When she was 23, she began to have visions while in ecstasy and either wrote them down or dictated them to her fellow nuns. With the help of her brother Egbert, a monk and abbot, she wrote three volumes describing her visions.

While Elizabeth spent her entire life at Schönau, she corresponded with clergy and prominent public figures throughout Europe. She also welcomed many of them as visitors to her abbey.

At age 28, Elizabeth was elected abbess and served in this position until her early death at the age of 38 in 1164.

St. Elizabeth never formally canonized, but popular devotion led her to being included in the Roman Martyrology.

Patronage:  Against temptations
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