Overview of St. Hildegard of Bingen
Birth: September 17, 1098
Location: Bermersheim vor der Höhe, Germany
Death: 1179
Canonized: May 10, 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI
Feast Day: September 17th
Patron Saint of: musicians, writers, and ecology
A Visionary Saint
In 1141, Hildegard began to experience a series of visions she described as “a flow of light” that “kindled her whole heart, not burning but warming.” At first, she was reluctant to speak of her visions, but she eventually came to believe that she had been called by God to share them with the world.
Her visions were the inspiration for her many writings about a wide range of topics, including theology and medicine. She also wrote music that is still performed today and is considered to be some of the most beautiful and expressive music of the Middle Ages. There are more surviving chants by Hildegard than by any other composer from the Middle Ages, and she is one of the few known composers to have written both the music and the lyrics.
Legacy
Hildegard’s other works include three volumes of theology, two volumes on natural medicine, one of the largest bodies of letters to survive from the Middle Ages, and many sermons in which she denounced clerical corruption and called for reform.
Few women during this time were permitted to preach publicly, but she attracted many by her humility, intellect, and holiness.
In 2012, she was named a Doctor of the Church.
*Article provided by Hallow.com*