Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
“The Holy Queen” & “Peacemaker”
(1271 – 1336)

Saint’s Life Story

Her Early Life

Elizabeth was born on 1271 as Isabel of Aragon in Zaragoza, Spain, the daughter of King Pedro III of Aragon and Queen Constanza of Naples. She was named after her great aunt, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. From an early age, Elizabeth displayed a pronounced devotion to God. Her fasting, attending daily Mass, regular prayer, and a sense of strong will and determination were evident to all who knew her. She learned self-discipline, was educated very piously. Despite being born into a royal family, Elizabeth remained humble and devoted her life to serving God and others.

Betrothed at 11

At the age of 11, Elizabeth was arranged to marry King Diniz (Denis) of Portugal. However, Elizabeth was not wed until 1288, 7 years later. She received the towns of Óbidos, Abrantes and Porto de Mós as part of her dowry. Although King Denis was an able ruler, her husband had an irate temper and sinful habits. While he respected and revered his queen, he was unfaithful to her.

Elizabeth bore the conjugal betrayal with exquisite patience and heroic magnanimity, praying continuously for her wayward spouse. Eventually, her prayer and patience succeeded in converting her husband, who had been leading a sinful life of adultery, fathering several illegitimate children.

It is said that King Denis, after repenting of his sins, wrote this poem for Elizabeth:

God made you without peer
In goodness of heart and speech
As your equal does not exist,
My love, my lady, I thus sing:
Had God so wished,
You’d made a great king.

Mother of Two

She and Denis had two children: a daughter, Constanza, who married King Ferdinand IV of Castile, and Afonso, who later became King Afonso IV of Portugal.

Her husband, the king, was a poet and statesman, known as the Farmer King, because he planted a large pine forest near Leiria to prevent soil degradation that threatened the region.

Young Queen

Elizabeth started her day with Mass and prayer, and then proceeded to see to the governance of her palace. In the free moments, she sewed and embroidered with her ladies for the poor, and personally tended to their needs. Afternoons were dedicated to the care of the elderly, the poor or anyone else in want. She was known for being modest in dress and humble in conversation while wholly bent upon the service of God in all her actions.

Charity to the poor was a distinguishing part of her character. She gave constant orders to have all pilgrims and poor strangers provided for with lodging and necessities.

Peacemaker

In 1323, Prince Afonso rebelled against the favors that King Denis bestowed on his illegitimate sons. This led to open civil war between the forces of the king and the prince. Elizabeth, unjustly accused of siding with her son, courageously rode onto the battlefield between them. Miraculously, she was able to reconcile father and son, preventing bloodshed. This act of peacemaking defined her legacy. So, now Elizabeth has became widely regarded as a patron invoked in times of war and conflict.

Building Projects

Amazingly talented, Elizabeth mastered several languages, sang beautifully, and enjoyed a remarkable understanding of engineering and architecture. She also engaged in a number of building projects. In Coimbra, Portugal, Elizabeth had a convent built to house the Poor Clare nuns, as well as a house for herself next to the convent, a hospice for the aged poor, a hospital and an orphanage. She drafted the sketches herself while managing the day-to-day progress of the projects. Twentieth-century scholars have identified the buildings that date back to Elizabeth by their common architectural features, speaking of an “isabeline” style of architecture.

Flowers And Gold Coins

One day while inspecting a construction site, a girl approached and gave her a bouquet of flowers. The queen then distributed the flowers, one to each of the workers saying: “Let’s see if today you will work hard and well for this pay.” The men reverently placed their flower each in his own satchel, only to find, at the end of the day, a gold coin in place of the flower.

Roses

Elizabeth was going out to distribute money to the poor with the frontal piece of her dress, a kind of apron, turned up and filled with coins. Her husband, King Denis, suspecting that money was concealed there, curtly asked her what she was concealing in her dress.

She answered: “Roses.”

“Let me see them,” he demanded.

When she opened the apron, the coins had been miraculously transformed into roses. We see Divine Providence covering for her charitable action.

Widow

After the death of King Diniz in 1325, Elizabeth made a pilgrimage to the great shrine of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Her wish afterwards was to become a nun of the Poor Clare Franciscan convent she had established at Coimbra, Portugal. Then, she distributed her wealth to the poor and embraced a life of simplicity and devotion. She joined the Third Order of Saint Francis, devoting the rest of her life to the poor and sick while trying to remain unknown. She followed the way of Saint Francis and lived with great simplicity. Building a small house near the Coimbra convent, she spent the rest of her life in prayer and good works. Her selfless dedication to serving others continued to inspire those around her.

Her Death

In 1336, Elizabeth’s son, Afonso IV, marched against his son-in-law, the King of Castile, in an attempt to punish him for his neglectful and abusive behavior towards his daughter. Despite her age and declining health, Elizabeth rushed to the battlefield near Estremoz, Portugal. Once again, she played a pivotal role in making peace within her family and maintaining peace within her land. ,

When her mission was completed, the exertion brought on fever as her final illness. Elizabeth passed away on July 4, 1336, in Estremoz, Portugal. She was buried at the monastery of Coimbra, Portugal, where miracles were reported at her tomb. During the canonization process, her body was found incorrupt.

Born:                   1271 in Zaragoza, Spain

Died:                   July 4, 1336 at Estremoz, Portugal

Beatified:           April 15, 1516 by Pope Leo X

Canonized:        June 24, 1626 by Pope Urban VIII

Feast Day:         July 4, July 5 (USA), formerly July 8

Patron Saint:    Against Jealousy; Brides; Charity Workers; Coimbra, Portugal; Difficult Marriages; Invoked in Time of War; Peace; Third Order Franciscans; Victims of Adultery; Victims of Unfaithfulness; Widows

Source:

• • Queen Elizabeth of Portugal was called the Peacemaker – Aleteia
  • ALL SAINTS: ⛪ Saint Elizabeth of Portugal – Religious
  • CatholicSaints.Info » Saints of the Day – Elizabeth (Isabel) of Portugal, Queen by Katherine I Rabenstein
  • Saint Elizabeth of Portugal – Saint for a Minute: Saints & Blesseds
  • Elizabeth of Portugal – Wikipedia

Prayers

Video Link

St. Elizabeth of Portugal – YouTube (Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network – USA)