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Discover the Top 10 Fun Facts About St. Elizabeth of Hungary: Inspiring Stories, Royal Triumphs, and Miraculous Moments!

illustration of st-elizabeth-of-hungary
Dive into the fascinating world of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, whose captivating life story and incredible deeds are sure to leave you awe-inspired and craving more fun facts!

1. Charity Chic Saint

You won't catch this saint rocking designer gowns or flashing her pricey bling; she opted for charity chic, trading her red-soled stilettos for more compassionate pursuits: St. Elizabeth of Hungary founded a hospital, personally cared for the sick, and generously distributed alms throughout her husband's empire – even selling her luxurious possessions and visiting the sick twice a day to provide food, clothing, and other kindly services.
Source => crossroadsinitiative.com

2. Trading Spaces: Castle Edition

Rumor has it that St. Elizabeth played an unbeknownst game of "Trading Spaces: Castle Edition" with her husband Louis: it turns out, upon unveiling a basket of food meant for a beggar, which miraculously turned into roses, Louis never again questioned her charitable endeavors.
Source => simplycatholic.com

3. Original Soup Kitchen Connoisseur

Luckily for medieval Hungary, the original soup kitchen connoisseur arrived fashionably late to her own saintly bash: St. Elizabeth of Hungary was a benefactor extraordinaire, constructing a hospital and dedicating her life to generously feeding, clothing, and tending to the sick and the poor herself.
Source => franciscanseculars.com

4. Heroic Princess

Who said all princesses just sit in their castles and wait for a hero to rescue them? St. Elizabeth of Hungary was busy being a hero herself: She not only helmed a medieval version of Extreme Makeover: Castle Edition, but also built a hospital at its foot, personally rolling up her royal sleeves to care for the sick and needy several days a week.
Source => aleteia.org

Medieval Florence Nightingale

5. Medieval Florence Nightingale

Elizabeth of Hungary: a medieval Florence Nightingale with a baker's touch, was more than your ordinary royal saint. She was a multimillion-dollar dowry girl that could put modern philanthropists to shame: At just 20 years old, she converted her fortune into a full-service hospital in Marburg, rolling up her royal sleeves to personally care for the sick and needy until her untimely death at 24. Canonized in 1235, she now enjoys heavenly patronage over hospitals, nurses, and bakers—proving that both bread and care are essential to life.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Goldilocks and the Leper

If you think having unexpected guests in your bed was just a Goldilocks thing, St. Elizabeth of Hungary raised the stakes: She smuggled a leper into her husband's bed and nursed him back to health, only for her husband to discover Christ Himself in place of the sick man, solidifying her status as a saintly spouse.
Source => uscatholic.org

7. Hungary for Healthcare Change

Before she was a saint, Elizabeth was Hungary for change in healthcare: St. Elizabeth of Hungary used her royal dough to launch a hospital for the sick and needy, centuries before it was fashionable for VIP ladies to sprinkle their wealth on charitable ventures.
Source => blogs.shu.edu

8. Saintly Florist Miracle

Feeling rosy and craving a little divine intervention? Look no further than St. Elizabeth of Hungary, the original florist with a flair for miracles: This compassionate saint was known for her acts of charity, such as building a hospital in Marburg with her dowry and even performed the Miracle of the Roses, turning bread into blooms to help the poor - all while only getting one feast day on November 17th to celebrate her miraculous deeds.
Source => catholicreadings.org

9. Uber Eats of the Middle Ages

Before she became the OG angel of mercy, levitating bread baskets, and practically inventing Uber Eats, St. Elizabeth of Hungary was dishing out meals like a medieval soup kitchen CEO: This charitable saint was famous for visiting hospitals and caring for the sick, as a painting shows St. Elizabeth providing food and drink to a patient at Marburg's hospital in Germany, becoming the ultimate inspiration behind acts of selflessness and kindness.
Source => commons.wikimedia.org

Divine Magician of Medieval Europe

10. Divine Magician of Medieval Europe

Move over, David Blaine: St. Elizabeth of Hungary was performing miracles way before you were a twinkle in your wand's eye! Known as the Divine Magician of Medieval Europe, she transformed bread into roses just to keep her charity work hush-hush: In the famous 'Miracle of the Roses', St. Elizabeth's basket of bread secretly meant for the poor turned into a bouquet of red and white roses when her husband questioned her, proving that divine intervention and the art of magicianship belong to those with a kind and generous heart.
Source => saintez.org

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