Wiborada
Encyclopedia
Saint Wiborada of St. Gall (also Guiborat or Weibrath) (died 926) was a member of the Swabia
n nobility in what is present-day Switzerland
. She was an anchoress
, Benedictine nun
, and martyr
, as well as the first woman formally canonized
by the Vatican
. Her vita
was written ca. 1075 by Herimannus, a monk of St Gall.
in becoming a Benedictine at the Abbey of St. Gall
. There, she occupied herself by making Hatto's clothes and helping to bind
many of the books in the monastery library.
Wiborada became settled at the monastery, and Hatto taught her Latin so that she could chant the Divine Office
. When they invited the sick and poor into their home, Wiborada proved a capable nurse. A pilgrimage
to Rome
influenced Hatto to decide to become a monk at St. Gall Abbey, a decision which Wiborada supported.
At this time, it appears that Wiborada was charged with some type of serious infraction or wrongdoing, and was subjected to the medieval practice of ordeal by fire to prove her innocence. Although she was exonerated, the embarrassment probably influenced her next decision: withdrawing from the world and becoming an ascetic.
When she petitioned to become an anchoress, Bishop Salomon of Constance
asked her to accompany him to the Monastery of St. Gallen. He arranged for her to stay in a cell next to the church of St. Georgen
near the monastery, where she remained for four years before relocating to a cell adjoining the church of St. Magnus
.
She became renowned for her austerity, and was said to have a gift of prophecy
, both of which drew admirers and hopeful students, one of which, a woman named Rachildis, whom Wiborada had cured of a disease, joined her as an anchoress. Also, as a young student at St. Gallen, Ulrich of Augsburg
is said to have visited Wiborada often. She supposedly prophesied his elevation to the episcopate of Augsburg
. Years later, we know that he still regarded Wiborada as his spiritual mother.
Engilbert urged Wiborada to escape to safety, but she insisted that it was her duty to remain and pray for the inhabitants of the city.
When the Magyar marauders reached St. Gall, they burned down St. Magnus and broke into the roof of Wiborada's cell. Upon finding her kneeling in prayer, they clove her skull with a hatchet and left her to die. Her companion Rachildis was not killed, and lived another 21 years, during which her disease returned. She spent the rest of her life learning patience
through suffering
. Wiborada's refusal to leave her cell and the part she played in saving the lives of the priests and religious of her convent have merited her the title of martyr
.
in 1047. Her feast day is 2 May. In Switzerland, Wiborada is considered the patron saint of libraries
and librarians. In art, she is commonly represented holding a book to signify the library she saved, and an ax, which signifies the manner of her martyrdom. The axe with which she is commonly depicted is in fact anachronistic, being a halberd
, which did not come into existence until the 15th century.
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n nobility in what is present-day Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. She was an anchoress
Anchorite
Anchorite denotes someone who, for religious reasons, withdraws from secular society so as to be able to lead an intensely prayer-oriented, ascetic, and—circumstances permitting—Eucharist-focused life...
, Benedictine nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
, and martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
, as well as the first woman formally canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
by the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. Her vita
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
was written ca. 1075 by Herimannus, a monk of St Gall.
Biography
Wiborada was born to a wealthy noble family in Swabia. After the death of their parents, Wiborada joined her brother HattoHatto
Hatto can refer to:*Hatto I and Hatto II , archbishops of Mainz*Haito, bishop of Basle*Hatto, Tottori, a town in Japan*Joyce Hatto, British pianist...
in becoming a Benedictine at the Abbey of St. Gall
Abbey of St. Gall
The Abbey of Saint Gall is a religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. The Carolingian-era Abbey has existed since 719 and became an independent principality during the 13th century, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine abbeys in Europe. It was...
. There, she occupied herself by making Hatto's clothes and helping to bind
Bookbinding
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...
many of the books in the monastery library.
Wiborada became settled at the monastery, and Hatto taught her Latin so that she could chant the Divine Office
Liturgy of the hours
The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings...
. When they invited the sick and poor into their home, Wiborada proved a capable nurse. A pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
influenced Hatto to decide to become a monk at St. Gall Abbey, a decision which Wiborada supported.
At this time, it appears that Wiborada was charged with some type of serious infraction or wrongdoing, and was subjected to the medieval practice of ordeal by fire to prove her innocence. Although she was exonerated, the embarrassment probably influenced her next decision: withdrawing from the world and becoming an ascetic.
When she petitioned to become an anchoress, Bishop Salomon of Constance
Konstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
asked her to accompany him to the Monastery of St. Gallen. He arranged for her to stay in a cell next to the church of St. Georgen
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
near the monastery, where she remained for four years before relocating to a cell adjoining the church of St. Magnus
Magnus of Füssen
Saint Magnus of Füssen, otherwise Magnoald or Mang, was a missionary saint in southern Germany, also known as the Apostle of the Allgäu. He is believed to have been a contemporary either of Saint Gall or of Saint Boniface and is venerated as the founder of St. Mang's Abbey, Füssen.-Life:There is...
.
She became renowned for her austerity, and was said to have a gift of prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
, both of which drew admirers and hopeful students, one of which, a woman named Rachildis, whom Wiborada had cured of a disease, joined her as an anchoress. Also, as a young student at St. Gallen, Ulrich of Augsburg
Ulrich of Augsburg
Saint Ulrich , sometimes spelled Uodalric or Odalrici, was Bishop of Augsburg and a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. He was the first saint to be canonized.-Family:...
is said to have visited Wiborada often. She supposedly prophesied his elevation to the episcopate of Augsburg
Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg
The Prince-Bishopric of Augsburg was one of the prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire, which belonged to the Swabian Circle.-Early period:...
. Years later, we know that he still regarded Wiborada as his spiritual mother.
Martyrdom
The end of Wiborada's life was violent and dramatic. In 925, she predicted a Hungarian invasion of her region. Her warning allowed the priests and religious of St. Gall and St. Magnus to hide the books and wine and escape into caves in nearby hills. The AbbotAbbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
Engilbert urged Wiborada to escape to safety, but she insisted that it was her duty to remain and pray for the inhabitants of the city.
When the Magyar marauders reached St. Gall, they burned down St. Magnus and broke into the roof of Wiborada's cell. Upon finding her kneeling in prayer, they clove her skull with a hatchet and left her to die. Her companion Rachildis was not killed, and lived another 21 years, during which her disease returned. She spent the rest of her life learning patience
Patience
Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the...
through suffering
Suffering
Suffering, or pain in a broad sense, is an individual's basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm. Suffering may be qualified as physical or mental. It may come in all degrees of intensity, from mild to intolerable. Factors of duration and...
. Wiborada's refusal to leave her cell and the part she played in saving the lives of the priests and religious of her convent have merited her the title of martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
.
Veneration
Saint Wiborada was the first woman formally canonized by the Vatican, by Pope Clement IIPope Clement II
Pope Clement II , was Pope from December 25, 1046 to his death. He was the first in a series of reform-minded popes from Germany.Born in Hornburg, Lower Saxony, Germany, he was the son of Count Konrad of Morsleben and Hornburg and his wife Amulrad.In 1040, he became Bishop of Bamberg...
in 1047. Her feast day is 2 May. In Switzerland, Wiborada is considered the patron saint of libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and librarians. In art, she is commonly represented holding a book to signify the library she saved, and an ax, which signifies the manner of her martyrdom. The axe with which she is commonly depicted is in fact anachronistic, being a halberd
Halberd
A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. Possibly the word halberd comes from the German words Halm , and Barte - in modern-day German, the weapon is called Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on...
, which did not come into existence until the 15th century.