Daughter of Peter II of Aragon and of Constance, granddaughter of Frederick II, she was given the name of her great aunt, St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Her birth began the work of peacemaker which distinguishes her, for it reconciled her father and grandfather. At the age of twelve she was married to King Denis of Portugal, though one is glad to know that she was almost nineteen before she gave birth to the elder of her two children.

As a queen she led a life of prayer, austerity and charitable works. Every day she recited not only the Divine Office but the Offices of our Lady, and the Dead. With her maids of honor she devoted much time to working for the poor or the sick and visiting hospitals. Though a capable ruler, Denis was an unfaithful husband. In fairness, however, we should remember that his marriage was a political arrangement and that, among kings, chastity has been the exception, not the rule. Elizabeth not only bore with his infidelities with patience and gentleness but gave his illegitimate children a mother's care. Denis' son Alfonso was less tolerant of his affection for them, and twice rebelled against his father. On both occasions she reconciled father and son, riding between the combatants. She was banished for a time on the slanderous suggestion that she was encouraging her son's revolt; but the truth soon came to light, and Denis showed his confidence in her by trusting her with the government of Torres Vedras. She also stopped two other wars. In 1325 Denis died a penitent and holy death, devotedly nursed by his wife through a long and painful illness.

Divesting herself of every ornament or token of rank, Elizabeth became a Franciscan tertiary, wearing the habit and living in a house adjoining the convent of Poor Clares she had founded at Coimbra. Her life was a model to the nuns.

In 1336 her son, King Alfonso, began a campaign against the king of Castile, who had ill-treated his wife, Alfonso's daughter. Despite failing health, through days of burning heat, Elizabeth followed the army. She caught up with it at Estremoz and was successful in making permanent peace between the hostile kings. But the effort proved mortal. Her last illness, attended by her son and daughter-in-law, was brightened by divine consolations, and a vision of our Lady greeted her last breath. Her birth had been peace, her work had been peace, and for peace she gave her life. She died on July 4th. She was canonized by Urban VIII, who furnished her office with special hymns. When mankind is faced with the alternative of peace or suicide, the intercession of this saint of peace is more than ever valuable.

ELIZABETH of Portugal

Also known as: The Peacemaker; Isabel of Portugal; Isabella of Portugal
Memorial: 4 July; formerly 8 July
Profile: Princess. Daughter of King Pedro III of Aragon and Constantia; great-granddaughter of Emperor Frederick II. Great-niece of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, for whom she was named. Pious upbringing with daily liturgy and praying of the hours, regular religious instruction and education. Married at age twelve to King Diniz of Portugal, and thus Queen of Portugal before she was a teenager.

The king was known for his hard work, his poetic nature, and his lack of morals. Elizabeth suffered through years of abuse and adultery, praying all the while for his conversion, and working with the poor and sick. Mother of two, Princess Constantia and Prince Affonso. She sometimes convinced the ladies of the court to work with her, but most of the time she just incurred their jealousy and ill will. The king appears to have reformed late in life, though whether from Elizabeth's faith or his imminent death is unknown.

The Prince Affonso rebelled against the favours Diniz bestowed on his illegitimate sons, and in 1323 forces of the king and prince clashed in open civil war. Though she had been unjustly accused of siding with her son against the crown, Elizabeth rode onto the battlefield between them, and was able to reconcile father and son, and prevent bloodshed. This led to her patronage as a peacemaker, and as one invoked in time of war and conflict.

Widowed in 1325. After the king's death, she distributed her property to the poor, became a Franciscan tertiary, and retired to a monastery of Poor Clares she had founded at Coimbra.

In 1336 her son, now King Affonso IV, marched against his son-in-law, the King of Castile to punish him for being a negligent and abusive husband. Despite her age and ill health, Elizabeth hurried to the battlefield at Estremoz, and again managed to make peace in her family, and thus maintain peace in her land.
Born: 1271 at Aragon, Spain
Died: 4 July 1336 at Estremoz of fever; buried at Coimbra, Portugal; miracles reported at her tomb
Name Meaning: worshipper of God
Canonized: 24 June 1625 by Pope Urban VIII
Patronage: against jealousy; brides; charitable societies; charitable workers; charities; Coimbra, Portugal; difficult marriages; falsely accused people; invoked in time of war; peace; queens; tertiaries; victims of adultery; victims of jealousy; victims of unfaithfulness; widows
Representation: Franciscan nun rose in her hand; Franciscan nun with a beggar nearby; Franciscan nun with a jug in her hand; Franciscan tertiary nun; woman carrying roses in her lap in winter; woman crowned with roses
Additional Information: Google Directory
Catholic Online
The Wanderer, by Maria J Cirurgiao and Michael D. Hull
Catholic Encyclopedia
For All The Saints, by Katherine Rabenstein
Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Society
New Catholic Dictionary

American Catholic’s Saint of the Day

July 4, 2006

St. Elizabeth of Portugal

(1271-1336)

Elizabeth is usually depicted in royal garb with a dove or an olive branch. At her birth in 1271, her father, Pedro III, future king of Aragon, was reconciled with his father, James, the reigning monarch. This proved to be a portent of things to come. Under the healthful influences surrounding her early years, she quickly learned self-discipline and acquired a taste for spirituality. Thus fortunately prepared, she was able to meet the challenge when, at the age of 12, she was given in marriage to Denis, king of Portugal. She was able to establish for herself a pattern of life conducive to growth in God’s love, not merely through her exercises of piety, including daily Mass, but also through her exercise of charity, by which she was able to befriend and help pilgrims, strangers, the sick, the poor—in a word, all those whose need came to her notice. At the same time she remained devoted to her husband, whose infidelity to her was a scandal to the kingdom.

He too was the object of many of her peace endeavors. She long sought peace for him with God, and was finally rewarded when he gave up his life of sin. She repeatedly sought and effected peace between the king and their rebellious son, Alfonso, who thought that he was passed over to favor the king’s illegitimate children. She acted as peacemaker in the struggle between Ferdinand, king of Aragon, and his cousin James, who claimed the crown. And finally from Coimbra, where she had retired as a Franciscan tertiary to the monastery of the Poor Clares after the death of her husband, she set out and was able to bring about a lasting peace between her son Alfonso, now king of Portugal, and his son-in-law, the king of Castile.

Comment:

The work of promoting peace is anything but a calm and quiet endeavor. It takes a clear mind, a steady spirit and a brave soul to intervene between people whose emotions are so aroused that they are ready to destroy one another. This is all the more true of a woman in the early 14th century. But Elizabeth had a deep and sincere love and sympathy for humankind, almost a total lack of concern for herself and an abiding confidence in God. These were the tools of her success.

St. Elizabeth of Portugal, Religious

St. Elizabeth of Portugal, Religious
Optional Memorial
July 4th

Petrus Christus
Isabel of Portugal with St Elizabeth
1457-60
Oak panel, 59 x 33 cm
Groeninge Museum, Bruges

Saint Elizabeth of Portugal was the daughter of King Peter III of Aragon. She was named for her great-aunt, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, whose virtues she also shared. In her married life with King Denis of Portugal, she endured trails with heroism. On more than one occasion she went to considerable pains to bring about peace between her children and their father. She also showed unfailing charity toward the poor and founded convents, hospitals, foundling homes, and shelters for young women. After her husband's death in 1325 she became a Franscisan tertiary.

Source: Daily Roman Missal, Edited by Rev. James Socías, Midwest Theological Forum, Chicago, Illinois ©2003
Collect:
Father of peace and love,
you gave St. Elizabeth the gift of reconciling enemies.
By the help of her prayers
give us the courage to work for peace among men,
that we may be called the sons of God.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading: 1 John 3: 14-18
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 [short reading 31-40]
"When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' [Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."]

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