Patron Saint of Misbehaving
Children
Saint Matilda
was born into nobility in the Westphalia province of Prussia and was
raised by her grandmother, an abbess, in an abbey.
Saint Matilda
married King Henry the Fowler, the first German king from Saxony, and had
five children including Saint Bruno, Archbishop of Cologne.
Saint Matilda
interceded with the king on behalf of criminals, nursed the sick, taught
the unschooled, and was generous in almsgiving.
Upon King Henry I's, also known as King
Henry the Fowler, death, Saint Matilda
inherited much of his land. Two of her children, King Otto I, and
Henry, accused Saint Matilda of fiscal
irresponsibility because of her generosity to the poor. Her oldest son,
now Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, confiscated Saint Matilda's property
causing her to flee to a convent.
Holy Roman Emperor Otto I found out
pretty quickly that ruling an empire was not easy, so he and Henry sought
out their mother's advice with contrition, restoring her lands, and
reconciling, and Saint Matilda resumed
caring for the poor.
Saint Matilda's
feast day is March 14.
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