ST.

WALBURGA, ABBESS OF HEIDENHEIM Our holy Mother Walburga was born of an English princely family in the eighth century. Both her father, Richard, who died on pilgrimage in Italy, and her brothers Willibald and Wunebald, who, like her, died on the erman mission!field, are counted among the saints of the One, "oly, #atholic and $postolic #hurch. $fter spending se%eral years in the monastic life in England, &t. Walburga was among those monks and nuns who responded to the appeal of &t. Boniface, the enlightener of ermany, for workers to help him in his missionary struggles. $s she was making the sea!passage from England to ermany, a great tempest arose which threatened to sink the ship and all its passengers. When all seemed lost, Walburga knelt to pray, and then, standing up, commanded the winds and the sea, whereupon calm was immediately restored. "a%ing arri%ed in Mayence on $ugust ', ('), Walburga was reunited with her brother Willibald, the bishop of Eichstatt. *hen, two or three years later, she was sent to *huringia, where her other brother Wunebald had been building a monastic colony in the wilderness of "eidenheim. Wunebald was made abbot of the men+s foundation, while his sister ruled the women+s con%ent. &e%eral years of fruitful acti%ity passed in this way, with many pagans being con%erted to the ,aith of #hrist through the holy e-ample of the two siblings. *hen, on .ecember /0, (1/, &t. Wunebald reposed in the 2ord, whereupon his sister was appointed to rule o%er both monasteries, 3gathering as many women dedicated to #hrist as she could, and stri%ing to fulfil the precepts of the 2ord with the greatest 4eal3. One e%ening, Walburga remained in church after 5espers longer than usual. When she arose to return to the monastery night was already falling, and she asked the sacristan, whose name was umerandus, to gi%e her a light to light her along her way. "e refused, so she meekly returned to her cell without a light, ha%ing missed the e%ening meal. But then, at midnight, a da44ling light coming from the abbess+s cell lit up the whole monastery, penetrating into e%ery cell, and lasted until the hour of Mattins. *he astonished nuns ran up to the holy %irgin+s bed, but she, weeping and raising her hands and eyes to od, said6 3*o *hee, O 2ord 7esus #hrist, Whom I ha%e resol%ed to ser%e as *hy humble handmaid since my childhood, do I gi%e thanks for the fa%our *hou hast granted me ! *hou who for the training of the minds of *hy handmaids hast counted me, the unworthy one, worthy to be consoled with the aid of *hy light. ,or this I ascribe not to my merits, but to those of my brothers, *hy ser%ants.3

One night she went to the house of a rich man whose daughter lay dangerously ill. $s she stood at the door like a beggar, the dogs sa%agely rushed up and surrounded her. *he nobleman did not recogni4e her and called out angrily, telling her to beware of the dogs and asking who she was. Walburga 8uietly replied that she did not fear the dogs, for they would neither molest nor bite her. $nd she added6 3"e Who has sent me to thy house to do good will let me return unharmed to the place whence I came. "e Who sent me hither against thy will will lea%e health in thy house, if thou only belie%est from thy heart that "e is the greatest of all physicians.3 *he rich man now recogni4ed the holy abbess. "e sprang up from his seat, in confusion begged her pardon, and led her respectfully to the room where his dying daughter lay. *he saint lo%ingly consoled the weeping parents and remained the whole night in prayer beside the sick child. *he ne-t morning she arose from her bed cured. ,ull of 9oy and gratitude, the parents offered rich presents to the saint. But she refused them and returned to her monastery, 9oyfully gi%ing thanks to od. &t. Walburga reposed in the 2ord on ,ebruary :;, ((0, and was buried by her brother &t. Willibald ne-t to her other brother, &t. Wunebald. ,or ninety years pilgrimages were made to her tomb. *hen, in )(<, while the church was being enlarged at the command of Bishop Otkar, some workmen treated the tomb of the saint irre%erently, and at night the north wall fell down. $t the same time, &t. Walburga appeared in a dream to the bishop and rebuked him for the negligence with which her tomb had been treated. On awaking and seeing the damage that had been done, the bishop decided to open her tomb and translate the holy body to Eichstatt. $t that time a clear li8uid like water was found bedewing the saint+s relics. It was found to ha%e healing properties, and has continued to flow at certain times of the year e%er since. "owe%er, when the bishop wanted to place the holy relics in the cathedral at Eichstatt, the horses drawing the carriage on which the relics were placed refused to mo%e. &o they remained where the present church of &t. Walburga stands. *he translation of the relics of &t. Walburga is commemorated on May /, the %igil of which feast is known in ermany as Walpurgisnacht. Holy Mother Walburga, pray to God for us!