Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
Born: Summer 1271 Died: July 4th, 1336
Feast Day:
July 4th
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What she said
“God made me queen so that I may serve others.”
What the world was like
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal was a queen at a time of unrest. Rulers often waged war against each other. These wars were upsetting to families and the economy of their lands. The people sometimes revolted against leaders. Peace was highly prized, but often did not last long.
Noblewomen played an important role in these trying times. They managed the kingdom or estate of their husbands while the men were away from home fighting. The women took care of their children’s education, estate finances, and improvements.
Who she was
Saint Elizabeth, or Isabel, was related to kings, queens, emperors, and a saint! She was the daughter of the king and queen of Aragon, a land now part of Spain. One grandfather was the king of Sicily, and the other was an emperor. She was named after her great-aunt, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, another queen who was a saint. These connections did not guarantee that she would be a great queen or a saint. She became both.
Saint Elizabeth was a pretty and intelligent young girl. Even as a child she drew strength from her faith. It was expected that she marry royalty when she grew up, so she was educated to be a queen.
When she was older, she married Dinis, the king of Portugal. The couple ruled wisely and well. They worked to improve the lives of their subjects. They provided education, justice, and protection for the people in their kingdom. Elizabeth supervised the building of hospitals, orphanages and churches. She also worked among the poor and sick, often feeding or caring for them herself. As a result, the people dearly loved their king and queen.
Elizabethand Dinis’s duties as king and queen caused them to spend much time apart. Dinis allowed Elizabeth to spend her time and resources as she thought best. However, he sometimes listened to those at his court who disliked Elizabeth. She bore this gossip without complaining. There is no record that she ever publically criticized her husband. She thought the best way to influence him was by her example.
Elizabeth and Dinis had two children, a daughter Costanza and a son Afonso. Afonso could be selfish. Once, he raised an army to take over the kingdom from his father. Elizabeth stepped in to negotiate peace between her son and husband. Dinis was convinced by some that Elizabeth was on her son’s side. Dinis banished Elizabeth. She bore this unjust punishment, and did not stop trying to bring peace within her family. Her efforts did bring peace.
After her husband’s death, Elizabeth tried to live a quiet life. She could not for long. She helped settle disputes between neighboring kingdoms. She saw her role as peacemaker as an important service. Even though she was ill, she embarked on one last peacemaking mission. Then she began to grow physically weak. Not long afterwards, she died as peacefully as she had lived.
What this saint means for us
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal devoted her life to maintaining peace in her kingdom. She tried to change the minds and hearts of others by showing the joy she received from serving God. She saw her role as queen as an opportunity to share the love and care of God with others.
There is a great need for peacemakers in the world. We can be peacemakers by our example. We can work to resolve our differences. We can be kind and forgiving towards others.
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