Saint Adela
Saint Adela of Pfalzel (also known as Adela of Trier; born c. 672 AD; died c. 734 AD) was a Frankish noblewoman and abbess who founded the convent of Pfalzel near Trier (present-day Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) and governed it as abbess. She was the granddaughter of King Dagobert I and thus a member of the Merovingian royal family, and her foundation at Pfalzel became an important religious center in the middle Rhineland. Among those she educated was the young Saint Gregory of Utrecht, whom she prepared for his later role as a missionary bishop under Saint Boniface.
Saint Adela is distinct from other saints of similar name, including Saint Adela of Normandy (daughter of William the Conqueror) and Saint Adele (foundress of Pfäfers Abbey in Switzerland). She is venerated locally in the Trier region and her feast day is December 24 in some local traditions.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Adela
| Saint Adela | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | December 24 |
| Profession | Abbess; foundress |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Merovingian Christianity |
| Patronage | Pfalzel; Trier region |
| Attributes | Abbess's veil and crozier; royal crown (representing her Merovingian lineage) |
| Birthplace | Frankish kingdom (precise location unknown) |
| Death Place | Pfalzel, near Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; abbess and confessor |
| Primary Shrine | Pfalzel, Trier, Germany |
| Liturgical Class | Not included |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Birth
Saint Adela was born around 672 AD into the Merovingian royal family as the granddaughter of King Dagobert I, the most powerful of the Merovingian kings. Her parents and the precise circumstances of her birth are not recorded in available sources.
Early Life
Adela received the noble education appropriate to her royal background. At some point she chose the religious life and founded a convent at Pfalzel (a Roman place, Palatiolum, meaning "little palace"), a short distance from the imperial city of Trier on the Moselle River.
Occupation
Saint Adela governed the convent of Pfalzel as abbess for many years. One of the most significant things associated with her abbacy was the education of the young Gregory of Utrecht, later a bishop and missionary, who was educated at Pfalzel before being drawn into the orbit of Saint Boniface and his mission to the Germanic peoples. Saint Boniface himself is known to have encountered the young Gregory at Pfalzel.
Vocation
Saint Adela's vocation was that of a contemplative abbess and educator — a woman who used her royal heritage and the resources of her foundation to build up the Church in the Rhineland.
Death
Saint Adela died around 734 AD at her convent of Pfalzel. She died peacefully as a confessor.
Saint Adela met her end at Pfalzel around 734 AD, having served as abbess and foundress of one of the significant religious communities of the middle Rhineland.
Significant events
- Born c. 672 AD as granddaughter of King Dagobert I of the Merovingian dynasty.
- Founded and governed the convent of Pfalzel near Trier.
- Educated the young Saint Gregory of Utrecht at her convent.
- Met Saint Boniface, the great missionary to the Germans, at Pfalzel.
- Died c. 734 AD; feast day observed on December 24 in local tradition.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: None
Death location: Pfalzel, near Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Notable location: Site of her convent, which she founded (Pfalzel, Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)
Notable location: Nearest major city; ancient episcopal see (Trier (Augusta Treverorum), Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Saint Adela have been added to the database yet.
Media
No media found for this saint.
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
List of shrines
No shrines formally meeting the canonical definition of Canon 1230 and dedicated to Saint Adela have been identified in current sources. She is venerated locally at Pfalzel near Trier.
Canonization
Servant of God
Recognized by ancient local tradition in the Diocese of Trier.
Venerable
Not applicable.
Beatification
Not applicable.
Canonization
Recognized through ancient local tradition.
Miracles
No specific miracles attributed to Saint Adela have been formally documented.
Miracle for beatification
Not applicable.
Miracle for canonization
Not applicable.
Other notable miracles
No specific miracles are recorded.
Patronage
Saint Adela is venerated as a patron of the Pfalzel community and the Trier region.
Feast day
December 24
Veneration
Saint Adela is venerated in the local tradition of the Diocese of Trier as a holy foundress of the Merovingian period.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.
Books
Written about the saint
- Levison, Wilhelm. England and the Continent in the Eighth Century. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946.
Written by the saint
- No writings by Saint Adela have been identified.
External links
References
- Levison, Wilhelm. England and the Continent in the Eighth Century. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946.
- Early Frankish hagiographic tradition; Diocese of Trier.