ST. WALBURGA, ABBESS OF HEIDENHEIM

  Our holy Mother Walburga was born of an English princely familyin the eighth century. Both her father, Richard, who died onpilgrimage in Italy, and her brothers Willibald and Wunebald, who,like her, died on the erman mission!field, are counted among thesaints of the One, "oly, #atholic and $postolic #hurch. $fterspending se%eral years in the monastic life in England, &t. Walburgawas among those monks and nuns who responded to the appeal of&t. Boniface, the enlightener of ermany, for workers to help him inhis missionary struggles. $s she was making the sea!passage fromEngland to ermany, a great tempest arose which threatened tosink the ship and all its passengers. When all seemed lost, Walburgaknelt to pray, and then, standing up, commanded the winds and thesea, whereupon calm was immediately restored.

  "a%ing arri%ed in Mayence on $ugust ', ('), Walburga wasreunited with her brother Willibald, the bishop of Eichstatt. *hen,two or three years later, she was sent to *huringia, where her otherbrother Wunebald had been building a monastic colony in thewilderness of "eidenheim. Wunebald was made abbot of the men+sfoundation, while his sister ruled the women+s con%ent.

  &e%eral years of fruitful acti%ity passed in this way, with manypagans being con%erted to the aith of #hrist through the holye-ample of the two siblings. *hen, on ecember /0, (1/, &t.Wunebald reposed in the 2ord, whereupon his sister was appointedto rule o%er both monasteries, 3gathering as many womendedicated to #hrist as she could, and stri%ing to fulfil the precepts ofthe 2ord with the greatest 4eal3.

  One e%ening, Walburga remained in church after 5espers longerthan usual. When she arose to return to the monastery night wasalready falling, and she asked the sacristan, whose name wasumerandus, to gi%e her a light to light her along her way. "erefused, so she meekly returned to her cell without a light, ha%ingmissed the e%ening meal. But then, at midnight, a da44ling lightcoming from the abbess+s cell lit up the whole monastery,penetrating into e%ery cell, and lasted until the hour of Mattins. *heastonished nuns ran up to the holy %irgin+s bed, but she, weepingand 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 thefa%our *hou hast granted me ! *hou who for the training of theminds of *hy handmaids hast counted me, the unworthy one,worthy to be consoled with the aid of *hy light. or this I ascribe notto my merits, but to those of my brothers, *hy ser%ants.3

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  One night she went to the house of a rich man whose daughterlay dangerously ill. $s she stood at the door like a beggar, the dogssa%agely rushed up and surrounded her. *he nobleman did notrecogni4e her and called out angrily, telling her to beware of thedogs and asking who she was. Walburga 8uietly replied that she didnot fear the dogs, for they would neither molest nor bite her. $ndshe added6

  3"e Who has sent me to thy house to do good will let me returnunharmed to the place whence I came. "e Who sent me hitheragainst thy will will lea%e health in thy house, if thou only belie%estfrom thy heart that "e is the greatest of all physicians.3

  *he rich man now recogni4ed the holy abbess. "e sprang upfrom his seat, in confusion begged her pardon, and led herrespectfully to the room where his dying daughter lay. *he saintlo%ingly consoled the weeping parents and remained the wholenight in prayer beside the sick child. *he ne-t morning she arosefrom her bed cured. ull of 9oy and gratitude, the parents offeredrich presents to the saint. But she refused them and returned to hermonastery, 9oyfully gi%ing thanks to od.

  &t. Walburga reposed in the 2ord on ebruary :;, ((0, and wasburied 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 commandof Bishop Otkar, some workmen treated the tomb of the saintirre%erently, and at night the north wall fell down. $t the same time,&t. Walburga appeared in a dream to the bishop and rebuked himfor the negligence with which her tomb had been treated. Onawaking and seeing the damage that had been done, the bishopdecided to open her tomb and translate the holy body to Eichstatt.$t that time a clear li8uid like water was found bedewing the saint+srelics. It was found to ha%e healing properties, and has continued toflow at certain times of the year e%er since. "owe%er, when thebishop wanted to place the holy relics in the cathedral at Eichstatt,the horses drawing the carriage on which the relics were placedrefused to mo%e. &o they remained where the present church of &t.Walburga stands. *he translation of the relics of &t. Walburga iscommemorated on May /, the %igil of which feast is known inermany as Walpurgisnacht.

Holy Mother Walburga, pray to God for us!

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