Saint Odilia of Alsace

[Saint Odilia of Alsace]
Also known as

  • Adilia of Alsace
  • Odile of Alsace
  • Odilia of Alsace
  • Othilia of Alsace
  • Ottilia of Alsace

Memorial

Profile

Born blind to the family of the Duke of Alsace Lord Aldaric (aka Etichon, aka Athich) and Bereswinda; because she was a girl and disabled, the family decided to put her out. Rather that having her killed, she was given to a peasant family. Taken in by a convent at age twelve, she gained her sight upon being touched by chrism during her baptism by Saint Erhard of Regensburg. Her brother wanted her back for use in an arranged marriage; when he heard of his son’s machinations and Odilia’s miraculous healing, her father was so angry that he struck and killed the brother. Odilia raised her brother back to life, then fled to the convent to escape the marriage. Her father followed her, but when a mountain opened a cave to hide her, and then dropped rocks on him, he gave up the idea. She joined the abbey, and eventually became abbess. Founded the Odilienberg monastery at Niedermunster.

Born

  • c.660 at Oberheim in the Vosges Mountains

Died

  • 13 December 720 at Niedermunster, Mount Sainte Odile of natural causes
  • reported to have returned briefly to life to tell her sisters about the beauty of heaven, and to take communion one last time
  • buried in a chapel near the convent church on the Odilienberg

Canonized

Patronage

Representation

Additional Information

Category: Canonized Pre-Congregation, Died in 720, Emblem: Book, Saints Beati and Venerables, Saints who were Abbesses, Saints who were Blind, Saints who were Nuns  |  Trackback