This observance appears in the catholic calendar with liturgical color green .
Saint Hedwig, Religious, was a 13th-century Duchess of Silesia and Poland renowned for her deep piety, extensive charitable works, and the founding of monasteries, who later lived a life of austerity and prayer at a Cistercian convent.
Saint Hedwig, born a Bavarian countess around 1174, became the Duchess of Silesia and Poland through her marriage to Henry I the Bearded, and she is celebrated for her profound personal holiness and unwavering dedication to the poor and sick. Despite her noble status, she lived a remarkably austere life, often walking barefoot, and used her wealth to found numerous hospitals and monasteries, most notably the Cistercian convent at Trzebnica, where her daughter Gertrude became abbess. After her husband's death, Hedwig retired to Trzebnica herself, living as a lay sister and dedicating her remaining years to prayer and service, embodying a life of Christian charity and humility that continues to inspire devotion.
Saint Hedwig, Religious, born a Bavarian countess around 1174, emerged from a lineage deeply rooted in European nobility and Christian faith. She was the daughter of Berthold IV, Duke of Merania, and Agnes of Wettin, and niece of Empress Agnes, wife of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. From a young age, Hedwig displayed an uncommon piety, nurtured by her upbringing in the Benedictine convent of Kitzingen. This formative period instilled in her a profound love for God and a deep commitment to spiritual discipline, laying the groundwork for a life dedicated to charity and holiness amidst the complexities of medieval European politics. Her early devotion foreshadowed the extraordinary path she would follow, balancing the demands of a ducal household with an intense personal asceticism, a duality that would define her sanctity and inspire generations.
At the tender age of twelve, Hedwig was married to Henry I the Bearded, Duke of Silesia, a union that would significantly expand her sphere of influence and opportunities for Christian service. Their marriage, though arranged for political expediency, proved to be a fruitful and loving partnership, producing seven children. As Duchess, Hedwig did not merely preside over a court; she actively engaged in the governance and welfare of her people. She was known for her wisdom and prudence, often serving as a trusted advisor to her husband and mediating disputes. Her compassion was legendary, and she used her ducal authority and wealth not for personal aggrandizement, but as instruments for alleviating suffering and promoting the common good. This practical application of her faith in a position of power distinguished her as a truly Christian ruler.
Perhaps the most enduring testament to Saint Hedwig's profound charity was her tireless work on behalf of the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. She established and personally supported numerous hospitals, hospices, and almshouses throughout Silesia, ensuring that the most vulnerable in society received care and dignity. It was not uncommon for Hedwig herself to visit these institutions, tending to the sick, washing their feet, and offering comfort and spiritual solace. Her personal example of humility and service extended to sharing her resources generously, often depleting her own treasury to meet the needs of others. She famously sold her jewels and precious possessions to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, embodying the Gospel's call to radical detachment from worldly wealth and complete reliance on divine providence.
Central to Hedwig's legacy is the founding of the Cistercian convent at Trzebnica in 1202, undertaken with the support of her husband. This monastery became a spiritual beacon and a center of learning and charity in the region. Hedwig actively participated in its establishment and growth, demonstrating her commitment to fostering contemplative life and providing a stable environment for women seeking to dedicate themselves to God. Her daughter, Gertrude, would later become the abbess of Trzebnica, further cementing the family's spiritual connection to the institution. The convent also served as a refuge for widows and a school for girls, reflecting Hedwig's holistic approach to Christian service that encompassed both immediate relief and long-term spiritual and educational development.
Despite her demanding public life and numerous family tragedies, including the deaths of several of her children, Hedwig maintained an extraordinary level of personal asceticism. She embraced a life of prayer and penance, often wearing a hair shirt beneath her ducal robes and walking barefoot even in winter, much to the concern of her husband. Her spiritual practices were not ostentatious but deeply integrated into her daily life, reflecting her constant striving for union with God. After the death of her beloved husband, Henry I, in 1238, Hedwig withdrew from the world, entering the Cistercian convent at Trzebnica, not as a professed nun but as a lay sister. There, she lived a life of even greater austerity, prayer, and humble service, dedicating her remaining years entirely to God until her death in 1243.
Saint Hedwig's life serves as a powerful example of how Christian holiness can flourish in any state of life, even amidst the responsibilities of power and wealth. Her unwavering faith, profound charity, and personal humility transformed her ducal court into a hub of Christian witness and service. She is revered as a patroness of Silesia, Poland, and Berlin, and her veneration spread rapidly after her death. Canonized by Pope Clement IV in 1267, her feast day is celebrated on October 16th. Hedwig's enduring significance lies in her demonstration that true nobility is found not in earthly titles but in selfless service to God and neighbor, and that a life dedicated to Christ can bring about profound social and spiritual transformation, leaving a legacy of faith and compassion that continues to inspire the faithful today.
Duchess Hedwig, a woman of profound piety, often walked barefoot, even in the depths of winter and over rough terrain, as a penance and a sign of humility. This practice, however, caused her husband, Duke Henry I the Bearded, considerable distress. He worried for her health and felt it was unbefitting for a duchess. Despite his gentle pleas and concerns, Hedwig remained steadfast in her practice, seeing it as a small sacrifice for the love of God.
One day, exasperated but still deeply loving, Duke Henry devised a plan. He ordered his attendants to follow Hedwig discreetly and, when she removed her shoes to walk barefoot, to immediately pick them up and carry them behind her. His hope was that, without her shoes readily available, she would be compelled to wear them. Yet, Hedwig, with her characteristic meekness and unwavering resolve, simply continued her journey without them, unperturbed by their absence. She was so detached from worldly comforts that the presence or absence of her shoes made no difference to her spiritual discipline.
Seeing his efforts futile, and witnessing her profound dedication, Henry eventually gave up trying to dissuade her from her barefoot walks. Instead, he presented her with a pair of shoes, but with a unique condition: she was to carry them herself, slung over her arm, rather than wear them. Hedwig, ever obedient and humble, agreed to this compromise. From that day forward, she would carry her shoes, a visible sign of her noble status, while her feet remained bare, a testament to her inner humility and commitment to Christ. This simple act became a powerful symbol of her life: a duchess who walked among the poor, sharing in their hardships, always seeking to humble herself before God, even while fulfilling the duties of her high station.
Mid-13th century
When she was elevated to the dignity of a duchess, she did not, by any means, become puffed up by the pride of this world; rather, she humbled herself all the more by the weight of her humility, considering that she had been placed in so high a position for this reason, that she might, with the greater care, be able to take care of the poor, the sick, and the needy.
Indeed, she was so devoted to works of piety that she would daily visit the hospitals and care for the sick with her own hands, washing their feet, giving them food and drink, and comforting them with gentle words. She would often leave her ducal palace to go to the poor, visiting their humble dwellings, listening to their complaints, and providing for their necessities out of her own means. She was truly a mother to the poor, a comfort to the afflicted, and a refuge for the distressed, so much so that she would sell her own jewels and precious garments to provide for their needs.
Her abstinence and self-mortification were also remarkable. Even amidst the splendor of her court, she wore a hair shirt next to her skin, which she concealed beneath her noble robes, so that her penance might be known only to God. She would frequently go barefoot, even in the depths of winter, over frozen ground and sharp stones, a practice that caused her husband, Duke Henry, much concern. He often begged her to desist from this rigorous asceticism, fearing for her health, but she would gently remind him that the suffering of Christ was far greater than any discomfort she might endure.
She was also a great patroness of religious orders, especially the Cistercians. With the consent and support of her husband, she founded the Cistercian convent of Trzebnica, which became a spiritual haven and a center of learning and charity. She not only provided generously for its construction and endowment but also took a personal interest in its spiritual life, ensuring that the nuns lived according to their rule in purity and devotion. After the death of her husband, she retired to this very monastery, not as a professed nun but as a lay sister, dedicating her remaining years to prayer, contemplation, and humble service, living an even more austere life than before. She continued her acts of charity, serving the other sisters and the poor who came to the monastery gates, always demonstrating profound humility and an unceasing love for God and neighbor. Her entire life was a testament to her deep faith and unwavering commitment to the Gospel message, particularly the call to serve Christ in the least of His brethren.
Special Masses and liturgical celebrations are held in churches dedicated to Saint Hedwig, particularly in Poland, Germany, and among Polish-American communities.
These celebrations commemorate her feast day on October 16th and honor her as a model of Christian holiness and charity.
Pilgrimages are made to the Cistercian convent at Trzebnica, Poland, where Saint Hedwig lived, died, and is buried, and which she helped to found.
Trzebnica is the historical center of her spiritual life and serves as a significant site of veneration for the faithful.
Inspired by Saint Hedwig's profound dedication to the poor, many parishes and individuals engage in acts of charity, such as collecting food, clothing, or funds for those in need, around her feast day.
Saint Hedwig is renowned for her extensive charitable works, including the founding of hospitals and her personal care for the sick and impoverished.
In regions where she is a patron saint, such as Silesia (Poland) and Berlin (Germany), civic and cultural events may accompany religious observances to honor her legacy.
Her historical role as Duchess and her deep impact on these regions led to her patronage and continued veneration.
Some devout individuals reflect on or imitate Saint Hedwig's personal humility and asceticism, such as her practice of walking barefoot or embracing simplicity, as a form of personal devotion.
Her hagiography highlights her profound personal piety and detachment from worldly comforts, serving as an inspiration for spiritual discipline.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque is revered for her mystical visions of Jesus Christ, which led to the widespread promotion and establishment of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, emphasizing God's boundless love for humanity.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) was a French Visitation nun whose life was profoundly marked by extraordinary mystical experiences and visions of Jesus Christ. Through these revelations, particularly those received between 1673 and 1675, Jesus entrusted her with the mission to promote devotion to His Sacred Heart, a devotion that highlights His immense and compassionate love for mankind, symbolized by His physical heart. Despite initial skepticism and suffering, Saint Margaret Mary, with the support of her spiritual director, Saint Claude de la Colombière, persevered in spreading this message, leading to the eventual universal recognition and establishment of the Feast of the Sacred Heart and the widespread practice of First Friday devotions and Holy Hours in the Church, profoundly enriching Christian spirituality and emphasizing the centrality of divine love.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, born Marie Alacoque on July 22, 1647, in Verosvres, Burgundy, France, entered the world as the fifth of seven children to Claude Alacoque and Philiberte Lamyn. From her earliest years, she displayed an unusual piety and a profound attraction to prayer, often spending hours in contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament. Her childhood, however, was marked by significant trials. At the tender age of eight, she lost her father, leaving her family in financial distress. She was then sent to a boarding school run by the Ursuline nuns, where she continued to grow in devotion. A severe rheumatic fever struck her at age eleven, leaving her paralyzed for four years. During this period of intense suffering, she made a vow to the Blessed Mother, promising to enter religious life if she were healed. Miraculously, she regained her health at fifteen, but upon returning home, she found her family property seized by relatives, and she was treated harshly, often subjected to menial tasks and deprived of comforts, enduring these hardships with remarkable patience and humility.
It was during the octave of Corpus Christi, likely in June of 1675, that Sister Margaret Mary Alacoque experienced perhaps the most profound of her visions, one that would indelibly shape the spiritual landscape of the Church. As she knelt before the Blessed Sacrament, lost in prayer and contemplation, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to her, His divine presence filling the small chapel with an ineffable light and peace. But what struck her most was His Heart, visible and radiant, crowned with thorns, pierced by a wound, and ablaze with a pure, consuming flame.
With an outpouring of tender love, Jesus spoke, His voice resonating not just in her ears but in the depths of her soul: 'Behold this Heart which has loved men so much, that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, to testify to them its love. And in return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverences and sacrileges, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love.'
He then revealed His desire for a special feast day, explaining, 'Therefore, I ask of you that the Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi be set apart for a special feast to honor My Heart, by making reparation to It for all the indignities It has received during the time it has been exposed on the altars. I promise you that My Heart will pour out the riches of Its love on all who honor It and cause It to be honored.'
Overwhelmed by the immensity of this divine revelation and the profound sorrow of Christ's lament, Margaret Mary felt a deep personal call to respond. This was not merely a private vision; it was a mission entrusted to her, a humble nun, to propagate a devotion that would emphasize the boundless, merciful love of God to a world often cold and indifferent. Despite the immense challenges and skepticism she would face in communicating such extraordinary experiences, this vision solidified her unwavering resolve, confirming her unique role as the messenger of the Sacred Heart.
Circa 1673-1675 (visions received), written later in her autobiography
One day, being in the choir, and reflecting upon the great favor that God had granted me by calling me to the religious life, I heard a voice saying to me: ‘I will make you the instrument of My mercy to obtain for you the knowledge of My Heart, and to make known to men the treasures of love, mercy, grace, and sanctification that it contains.’ I was then in great pain, and so full of sorrow that I could not answer, but I felt myself drawn to Jesus Christ, who showed me His Heart, saying: ‘Behold this Heart which has loved men so much, that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, to testify to them its love. And in return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverences and sacrileges, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel most keenly is that it is hearts consecrated to Me that treat Me thus.’
He then told me to approach His Heart, and when I did, He said: ‘My daughter, I desire that you make known to men My Heart, and that you honor It in the manner I am about to show you.’ He then opened His Sacred Side and showed me His Heart, radiant as the sun, surrounded by a crown of thorns, and surmounted by a cross. He added: ‘This is the place where I desire that reparation be made to My Heart for the ingratitude and contempt it receives from men. It is for this reason that I choose you, My daughter, to be the instrument of My design.’
He then explained to me the purpose of this devotion, which was to recall to men the infinite love of His Heart, so often forgotten and despised. He desired that a feast of reparation be instituted on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi, and that on this day, the faithful should receive Holy Communion and make an act of reparation for the offenses committed against His Sacred Heart. He promised great graces to those who would practice this devotion, and especially to those who would promote it.
He also desired that the First Fridays of each month be dedicated to honoring His Sacred Heart, by receiving Holy Communion and making a Holy Hour of reparation before the Blessed Sacrament. He promised that He would pour out the riches of His love upon all who would render Him this honor, and that He would bless their undertakings.
These revelations were repeated many times, and each time with new instructions and promises. I suffered greatly, both physically and spiritually, in carrying out this mission. The devil tormented me incessantly, and many of my sisters and superiors doubted me, believing my visions to be illusions. But Jesus sustained me with His grace and gave me strength to persevere. He sent me His faithful servant, Father Claude de la Colombière, who became my spiritual director and helped me to discern the authenticity of my experiences and to make known the message of His Sacred Heart.
Through all these trials, I learned to abandon myself entirely to the Divine Will, and to seek only the glory of God and the salvation of souls. My only desire was to fulfill the mission entrusted to me by Jesus, and to make known to all men the infinite love of His Sacred Heart, which is a furnace of charity, consuming all that is imperfect and transforming souls into Himself.
May 15, 1956
Among the various forms of devotion to the Sacred Heart, there are certain ones which Our Lord Himself, through Saint Margaret Mary, pointed out as especially pleasing to Him. These are the First Fridays of the month, the Holy Hour of Adoration, and the solemn celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. These practices, though distinct, are intimately connected and serve to deepen the faithful’s participation in the love of Christ.
The devotion of the First Fridays, in particular, has spread widely throughout the Catholic world. It consists in receiving Holy Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays of the month, in reparation for the offenses committed against the Sacred Heart. Our Lord promised Saint Margaret Mary that ‘all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Friday for nine consecutive months will not die in My displeasure, nor without receiving their Sacraments, and My Divine Heart will be their safe refuge in that last moment.’ This promise underscores the immense mercy and desire of the Sacred Heart to draw souls to Himself, offering a powerful means of grace and final perseverance.
The Holy Hour of Adoration, another practice revealed to Saint Margaret Mary, invites the faithful to spend an hour in prayer and contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament, especially on Thursdays, in union with Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. This act of spiritual intimacy and reparation allows souls to console the Heart of Jesus, sharing in His suffering and offering solace for the indifference and ingratitude of humanity. It is a profound expression of love and solidarity with the Redeemer, who ceaselessly intercedes for us before the Father.
The institution of a solemn feast in honor of the Sacred Heart, to be celebrated on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi, was the crowning request made by Our Lord to Saint Margaret Mary. This feast is intended to be a public act of homage and reparation to the Heart of Jesus, acknowledging His infinite love and seeking to atone for the offenses He receives in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. The Church, in her wisdom, has embraced this devotion, elevating it to a universal feast, thereby proclaiming the centrality of Christ’s love in the life of the faithful and inviting all to respond with ardent affection and gratitude.
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a humble Visitation nun, was chosen by Divine Providence to be the privileged instrument for the diffusion of this devotion. Her mystical experiences were not mere private revelations but a divine call to make manifest the depths of God’s love for humanity, embodied in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Despite initial difficulties and skepticism, her unwavering faith, profound humility, and ardent charity enabled her to persevere in her mission, laying the groundwork for a devotion that would profoundly shape Catholic spirituality for centuries to come. Her life serves as a testament to the power of divine grace and the transformative potential of a heart wholly given to God.
Observance of the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, typically celebrated on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi.
This feast day was specifically requested by Jesus Christ through Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque during her mystical visions, emphasizing His boundless love for humanity.
The practice of the First Fridays devotion, which involves receiving Holy Communion on nine consecutive first Fridays of the month.
Jesus made twelve specific promises to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque for those who faithfully observe this devotion, including final perseverance and special graces.
The practice of the Holy Hour of Adoration, especially on Thursdays.
Jesus requested Saint Margaret Mary to spend an hour in prayer with Him on Thursdays, commemorating His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, which led to the widespread practice of the Holy Hour.
The enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in homes and institutions.
While formalized later, this practice grew out of the devotion to the Sacred Heart as promoted by Saint Margaret Mary, seeking to establish Christ's reign of love within families and communities, with significant popularization efforts originating in France.
The wearing of the Sacred Heart badge or scapular.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart, as revealed to Saint Margaret Mary, encouraged the wearing of images of the Sacred Heart as a sign of protection and devotion, with the first badges being made in Paray-le-Monial where she lived.