Saint Odilia
Saint Odilia of Alsace (born c. 660 AD in Obernai, Alsace, France; died c. 720 AD at Mont Sainte-Odile, Alsace, France) was an Alsatian abbess who, according to tradition, was born blind and received her sight miraculously at her baptism. She founded the monastery on the peak known today as Mont Sainte-Odile (Mount Saint Odilia) in the Vosges Mountains, one of the most significant monastic and pilgrimage sites of medieval Alsace. She is the patron saint of Alsace and patron of those with eye diseases. Her feast day is December 13.
Stored in Cargo: No results
| Saint Odilia | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | December 13 |
| Profession | Abbess; foundress of Hohenbourg and Niedermünster monasteries; patron of Alsace |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Alsace; Benedictine tradition; Merovingian-era Frankish monasticism; Diocese of Strasbourg; patron of Alsace and the Vosges |
| Patronage | Alsace; those with eye diseases and blindness; those born with disabilities; abbesses; the sick; Vosges Mountains; Diocese of Strasbourg; Alsatian regional identity |
| Attributes | Eyes on a book or plate (symbolizing the blindness healed at baptism); abbess's staff; Benedictine habit; mountain (Mont Sainte-Odile); dove; spring of water; white chapel |
| Birthplace | Obernai (Ehnheim), Alsace, France (traditional) |
| Death Place | Mont Sainte-Odile (Hohenbourg), Alsace, France |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; she died c. 720 AD at her monastery on Mont Sainte-Odile; she had spent decades founding and governing the monastic community there; she died in prayer surrounded by her nuns |
| Primary Shrine | Mont Sainte-Odile Monastery, Bas-Rhin, Alsace — her tomb in the Chapel of Tears; over 600,000 annual visitors; active Benedictine monastic community; pilgrimage site continuously active since the 7th century; healing spring on the slopes; panoramic views over Alsace; one of France's most important religious heritage sites |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); December 13; Feast in Alsace and the Diocese of Strasbourg; regional feast in the Rhineland |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar; observed in Alsace |
Biography
Odilia was born c. 660 AD in Alsace, daughter of the Alsatian duke Adalric (Eticho). She was born blind. Her father, disappointed, ordered her abandoned; her mother secretly sent her to be raised by nuns in Burgundy.
When Bishop Erhard of Regensburg came to baptize her, she received her sight miraculously at the moment of baptism. This miracle of light at Baptism became the defining event of her life and legend.
Her father was eventually reconciled to her, largely through the pleading of her brother Hugo. However, in a moment of rage, Adalric struck and killed Hugo. In repentance for this act, he gave Odilia the mountain peak of Hohenbourg and its old fortress as the site for a monastery.
She founded the Hohenbourg Monastery (later Mont Sainte-Odile) on the summit and the Niedermünster Abbey in the valley below — one for healthy nuns, one for the sick and elderly. She governed this double monastic community as abbess for many decades.
She died c. 720 AD at her mountain monastery. Her tomb in the Chapel of Tears on the summit of Mont Sainte-Odile has been a pilgrimage destination for 1,300 years.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: None
Death location: None
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Odilia have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| Dec.13 — The Hidden Story of Saint Odilia: The Blind Princess Who Saw the Light of Christ | 15–30 minutes | Biographies of the Saints |
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Mont Sainte-Odile Monastery, Alsace — her tomb; active Benedictine monastery; over 600,000 visitors per year.
- Healing spring (Fontaine Sainte-Odile) on the slopes of the mountain — associated with cures of eye diseases.
- Niedermünster Abbey ruins, near Obernai — her lower monastery.
Feast day
December 13
Veneration
Saint Odilia is the patron saint of Alsace and of those with eye diseases. Born blind and granted sight at her Baptism, she founded the monastery of Mont Sainte-Odile, which has been a pilgrimage center for thirteen centuries. Her feast is December 13.
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.