Saint Hedwig of Poland
Saint Hedwig of Poland (born c. 1373 AD in Kraków, Poland, or Buda, Hungary; died July 17, 1399 AD in Kraków, Poland) was Queen of Poland (reigned 1384–1399), the youngest daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Poland. She was crowned as rex (king) of Poland — not queen consort — in her own right at age eleven, making her the effective ruler. She is especially honored for her role in the Christianization of Lithuania: she negotiated the marriage to Władysław II Jagiełło (Grand Duke of Lithuania) as a condition of his baptism and Lithuania's official conversion to Christianity, bringing the last pagan nation in Europe into the Church. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1997. Her feast day is June 8 (formerly July 17).
Stored in Cargo: Saint Hedwig of Poland
| Saint Hedwig of Poland | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 08 |
| Profession | Queen; ruler; diplomat; foundress; contemplative |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Third Order of Saint Francis (Dominican tradition also attributed); Queen of Poland 1384–1399; patron of the Jagiellonian University |
| Patronage | Poland; Lithuania; queens; rulers; universities; those who sacrifice for the good of others; young women in positions of authority; the poor; charitable organizations |
| Attributes | Royal crown and scepter; cross or crucifix (the Wawel Crucifix that spoke to her); jewels given away (gift to the university); bare foot or gold footprint (her charity to beggars); white dress |
| Birthplace | Kraków, Poland (or Buda, Hungary — debated) |
| Death Place | Kraków, Poland |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died shortly after childbirth (her daughter Elizabeth Bonifacia died shortly after birth); July 17, 1399, age approximately 25 |
| Primary Shrine | Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland — her tomb; the Royal Cathedral of Poland; one of the most sacred national shrines in all of Poland; Pope John Paul II canonized her on June 8, 1997 at Kraków |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Calendar, June 8; also observed July 17 locally) |
| Historic Class | Not included (canonized 1997) |
Biography
Jadwiga (Hedwig in German) was born around 1373, the youngest daughter of King Louis I (Louis the Great) of Hungary and Poland. After her father's death in 1382, she was chosen by the Polish nobility as their ruler — not queen consort, but King (rex) in her own right — and was crowned at Wawel Cathedral in Kraków in 1384 at about age eleven.
The most consequential act of her reign was her marriage to Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila), Grand Duke of Lithuania, in 1386. Lithuania was the last pagan nation in Europe. Jagiełło agreed to accept baptism and to bring about the mass baptism and Christianization of his Lithuanian people as a condition of the marriage. He was baptized, took the name Władysław, and married Jadwiga. He then organized the official Christianization of Lithuania (1387) — the last great Christianization event in medieval European history. The couple founded the Jagiellonian dynasty that would rule Poland-Lithuania for two centuries.
Jadwiga personally led military campaigns, patronized learning and the arts, and maintained a personal life of intense piety — prayer, fasting, care for the sick and poor. The famous Black Crucifix at Wawel (the Crucifix of Queen Jadwiga) is the object before which she reportedly received mystical communications from Christ; it remains one of the most venerated objects in Poland.
She died on July 17, 1399, at about 25 years of age, shortly after delivering a baby daughter who also died. In her last weeks she donated her personal jewels to refound the Jagiellonian University. She was buried at Wawel Cathedral.
Pope John Paul II — himself Polish — canonized her on June 8, 1997 at Kraków in one of the most emotionally charged canonizations of his pontificate.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Kraków, Poland (or Buda, Hungary — debated)
Death location: Kraków, Poland
Notable location: She is buried here in the Royal Cathedral of Poland at Wawel Hill; her tomb is a major Polish national shrine; she was crowned here as King of Poland in 1384; Wawel Cathedral is the greatest royal church in Poland (Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland)
Notable location:
Notable location: Her marriage to Jagiełło brought about the baptism of Lithuania and the Christianization of the last pagan nation in Europe; Vilnius became a Christian city and the center of Lithuanian Catholic culture; the chain of events she set in motion shaped Eastern European Catholicism for centuries (Vilnius (Wilno), Lithuania)
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Hedwig of Poland have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| The Duchess Who Walked Barefoot for Christ: Saint Hedwig of Poland | Under 5 minutes | Leyendas De Santos |
| The Duchess Who Walked Barefoot for Christ | Saint Hedwig of Poland #history #saintsations | Under 5 minutes | Saints Stories |
| When a Mother Offered Her Son to God | St Hedwig of Poland When St. #catholicchurch #saintsstories | Under 5 minutes | Saints Stories |
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
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No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland — her tomb; the Royal Cathedral of Poland; primary pilgrimage site.
- Jagiellonian University, Kraków — bears witness to her patronage; founded with her jewels.
Feast day
June 8 (also July 17 locally)
Veneration
Saint Hedwig of Poland is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church on June 8 as an Optional Memorial. She is patron of Poland and one of the most beloved Polish saints.
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.