Blessed Hildegun of Schönau

Also known as

• Joseph
• Brother Joseph
• Hildegun of Neuss
• Hildegunda of….
• Hildegunde of….
• Hildegund of….

Memorial

• 20 April

Profile

Dressed as a boy for her own safety, she accompanied her father on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On her return home, she kept the male disguise, joined the Cistercian monks at Schönau, Germany, and lived the rest of her life as a brother. Legend describes her as a miracle worker, and her sex was discovered only on her death. Of all the old stories with this theme, Hildegun’s has the best and most convincing documentation by her own order.

Born

• in the Rhineland, Germany

Died

• 1188 in Schönau, Germany of natural causes

Canonized

• no formal beatification or canonization
• widespread popular devotion has existed for centuries

Additional Information

• Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
• Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
• Wikipedia

MLA Citation

• “Blessed Hildegun of Schönau“. Saints.SQPN.com. 19 April 2013. Web. 24 May 2013. <>