St. Hedwig of Silesia: Duchess and Patron Saint, Feast Day

St. Hedwig of Silesia (1174–1243), also called Hedwig of Andechs, was a Bavarian noblewoman married at twelve to Duke Henry of Silesia, the mother of seven children, and a duchess who used her wealth for the poor, the sick and prisoners while living simply and prayerfully herself. After her husband’s death she lived beside the Cistercian convent she had founded at Trebnitz, and she bore the deaths of most of her children with deep faith. She is a patron of Silesia, of Poland and of brides. Her feast day is October 16. She is not the same as St. Hedwig (Jadwiga), queen of Poland. Below are her story, Scripture and a prayer to St. Hedwig.

A short prayer to St. Hedwig, written for this page:

St. Hedwig, you were a wife, a mother and a duchess, and in every state of life you served the poor.
Pray for married couples and families, for those in authority,
and for all who grieve the loss of their children. Amen.

Who was St. Hedwig?

Hedwig was born in 1174 at the castle of Andechs, in Bavaria, into a powerful noble family; her sister Gertrude was the mother of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. At twelve she was married to Henry, later Duke of Silesia, in what is now southwestern Poland, and the couple had seven children. Together they founded hospitals, monasteries and churches, and in 1202 they established the Cistercian convent of Trebnitz (Trzebnica), the first convent for women in Silesia, where their daughter Gertrude later became abbess.

Hedwig dressed plainly, often walked barefoot even in winter, fed the poor at her table, cared for lepers and visited prisoners, pleading for their release. She also worked to make peace in her family’s quarrels. Her husband died in 1238, and in 1241 her son Henry the Pious was killed fighting the Mongols at the battle of Legnica. She accepted these sorrows with faith, spending her last years in prayer at Trebnitz, where she died on October 15, 1243. She was canonized in 1267.

Scripture

St. Peter’s words about true beauty (1 Peter 3:3–4, Douay-Rheims):

Whose adorning let it not be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of gold, or the putting on of apparel:
But the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptibility of a quiet and a meek spirit, which is rich in the sight of God.

What is St. Hedwig the patron saint of?

Silesia and the city of Wrocław, and a patron of Poland
Brides and married women
Duchesses, orphans and those who suffer family troubles, in traditional lists

Feast day

The optional memorial of St. Hedwig, religious, is October 16.

Frequently asked questions

Is St. Hedwig the same as St. Jadwiga of Poland?

No. St. Hedwig of Silesia (died 1243, feast October 16) was a duchess; St. Hedwig (Jadwiga) of Poland (died 1399), canonized in 1997, was a queen. See patron saint of Poland.

What is St. Hedwig known for?

Her charity to the poor, her penance and simplicity of life, and her faith in great family sorrows.

St. Hedwig of Silesia: Duchess, Mother and Friend of the Poor, Patron of Silesia, Feast Day (October 16)