St. Elizabeth of Portugal
Elizabeth was born of the royal family of Aragon in the year of our Lord 1271. The joy of her birth put an end to the unhappy quarrels between her grandfather and her father, thus making it clear from the outset that she would be a blessed peacemaker between kings and kingdoms. She was remarkable for the way in which she chastised her body, for her constancy in prayer, and for her exercise of the works of charity. When she was married to Denis, King of Portugal, she devoted herself no less to the work of cultivating virtue than to that of educating her children, striving to please her husband, but still more to please God. She not only had monasteries, colleges and churches built, but gave them magnificent endowments. She was wonderful in settling the disputes of kings, unwearied in relieving the private and public calamities of her fellow-men, and famous for her miracles. When King Denis had died, she put on the habit of the Seraphic Order, and whatever she had that was dear and precious to her she offered at the church of Compostella for the soul of the king and used for works of devotion and mercy. Finally, having fallen ill as a result of a journey she made to establish peace between two kings, her son and her grandson, she died a most holy death, after receiving a visit from the Virgin Mother of God. Famous for miracles, she was enrolled among the Saints by Urban VIII.
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