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When Wiborada was made a saint in 1047 CE by Pope Clement II, she would become the first woman to be formally canonized by the Catholic Church. Her life took various twists and turns, which all ultimately led to that important event.
The Life of St. Wiborada
Wibroda was born to a Swabian aristocratic family in the 9th century CE. She she grew up in the Swiss town of Klingnau, where she and her brother, Hatto, seemed to reject the luxuries of her station. After their parents died, Hatto joined the monastery of St. Gall; an institution she had also became involved with through binding books for its libraries.
The siblings soon reconfigured their house into an infirmary, then traveled to Rome, which was an experience that seemed to have increased her passion for Christianity. She persuaded her brother to take his religious vows. Her life was irrevocably changed though after a servant accused the brother and sister of having sexual relations. She was subjected to a trial by fire; this entailed that an accused walk over red-hot plowshares or hold a red-hot iron, and if the wound festered within three days, the person would be executed or exiled. Wiborada was found innocent but it was such a humiliating experience that she chose to retreat from the world and become an ascetic.
Wiborada made a mountain hermitage of St. George her new home, though travelers would soon flock to her after hearing of her devotion. This impacted her desire for solitude, and in 891 she asked Bishop Salomon to provide her with a place where she could be isolated. The the ascetic received what she sought - she was walled into a cell next to the St. Magnus church, where she would remain for the next 34 years, and during this period she became renowned for her powers of prophecy. Ulrich, a young student at St. Gall, supposedly visited her often, and she prophesied that he would rise tot he episcopate. He would eventually become the famous St. Ulrich, the bishop of Augsburg.
In 925 CE the anchoress made a dire prophecy though: in the following year there would be an invasion of the region the church was located in. The priests took this warning seriously; in preparation they moved all of the valuables to the mountains and a nearby island. Abbot Engilbert pleaded with Wiborada to escape with the rest of the people, but she refused, stating that it was her duty to stay behind and pray for the safety of all of the people.
In 926 CE the Magyars, from Hungary, invaded Switzerland and reached St. Gall, then put the church to the torch. Some of the soldiers climbed on the roof her cell and pried the roof tiles away; below was Wiborada, still bowed in prayer. One Magyar soldier dropped into the cell and struck her head with his axe. Thus the life of St. Wiborada came to a tragic end. The saint is considered to be the patron of libraries,and she is usually represented in art with a book in one hand and an axe in another.
Thank you for reading!
When Wiborada was made a saint in 1047 CE by Pope Clement II, she would become the first woman to be formally canonized by the Catholic Church. Her life took various twists and turns, which all ultimately led to that important event.
The Life of St. Wiborada
Wibroda was born to a Swabian aristocratic family in the 9th century CE. She she grew up in the Swiss town of Klingnau, where she and her brother, Hatto, seemed to reject the luxuries of her station. After their parents died, Hatto joined the monastery of St. Gall; an institution she had also became involved with through binding books for its libraries.
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| Statue, 1926, in front of St. Mangen church, in St. Gallen. |
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| Wiborada speaks to Bishop Salomon. |
Wiborada made a mountain hermitage of St. George her new home, though travelers would soon flock to her after hearing of her devotion. This impacted her desire for solitude, and in 891 she asked Bishop Salomon to provide her with a place where she could be isolated. The the ascetic received what she sought - she was walled into a cell next to the St. Magnus church, where she would remain for the next 34 years, and during this period she became renowned for her powers of prophecy. Ulrich, a young student at St. Gall, supposedly visited her often, and she prophesied that he would rise tot he episcopate. He would eventually become the famous St. Ulrich, the bishop of Augsburg.
In 925 CE the anchoress made a dire prophecy though: in the following year there would be an invasion of the region the church was located in. The priests took this warning seriously; in preparation they moved all of the valuables to the mountains and a nearby island. Abbot Engilbert pleaded with Wiborada to escape with the rest of the people, but she refused, stating that it was her duty to stay behind and pray for the safety of all of the people.
In 926 CE the Magyars, from Hungary, invaded Switzerland and reached St. Gall, then put the church to the torch. Some of the soldiers climbed on the roof her cell and pried the roof tiles away; below was Wiborada, still bowed in prayer. One Magyar soldier dropped into the cell and struck her head with his axe. Thus the life of St. Wiborada came to a tragic end. The saint is considered to be the patron of libraries,and she is usually represented in art with a book in one hand and an axe in another.
Thank you for reading!
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