The Saint of the day 16 October is Saint Hedwig of Poland, which name day is celebrated and other saints who are celebrated on this date.
Saint Hedwig
Saint Hedwig, born in 1174 in Upper Bavaria, was Duchess of Silesia, bride of Henry I known as the Bearded.
His princely life was embittered by numerous family woes, and above all by the rivalry between his children.
To selfishness and pride, Hedwig responded with gentleness towards subjects, gentleness towards enemies, the constant desire for peace, both in international disputes and in court quarrels.
He helped the poor and the religious, he benefited the prisoners, improving their living conditions.
He strove for the release of prisoners of war.
He was said to have retained just a penny of his income, donating everything else to charity.
All this, for her, was nothing more than the duty of a truly Christian princess.
Its merits had to be other, more secret and even more difficult to achieve.
In fact, the austerity of the Duchess of Silesia was extraordinary in her private life, spent in the midst of fasts, vigils, and real deprivations.
It was not enough to be a servant of the poor, a consoler of the afflicted, a nurse for the sick and lepers.
Recommended readings- October 5: saint of the day, name day
- October 15: saint of the day, name day
- October 21: saint of the day, name day
- October 14: saint of the day, name day
- 20 October: saint of the day, name day
You had to mortify your body, offering the sufferings to redeem selfishness, sensuality and greed of most.
Duchess Hedwig treated herself with almost incredible rigor.
He wore a single tunic and a cloak, in summer and winter, he wore a sackcloth and a horsehair belt on his skin.
His skinny body was often bruised and plagued by the self-inflicting flagellations.
It was she who invented the curious stratagem of shoes without soles, to always walk barefoot even when the label required her to wear shoes.
And if the confessor urged her to bring shoes, she carried them under her arm.
The whole life of Saint Hedwig, princess and penitent, faithful wife and painful mother, just and beneficial Sovereign, died in 1243 and immediately venerated as a saint was woven of these little heroisms.
Other saints and celebrations on 16 October
- Santa Margherita Maria Alacoque
- Saints Amando and Giuniano
- Saint Anastasio of Cluny
- Blessed Aniceto Adalberto (Anicet Wojciech) Koplinski and Giuseppe (Jozef) Jankowski
- San Bertrando of Cominges
- Santa Bonita di Brioude
- St. Gallen
- San Gauderico
- Blessed Gerardo of Chiaravalle
- San Gerardo Maiella
- San Longino
- St. Llull of Mainz
- Saints Martiniano, Saturiano and Maxima
- San Mommolino di Noyon
Virgin
Priests and martyrs
Bishop
Hermit in Bregenz
Abbot
Redemptorist religious
Martyr
Bishop
Martyrs
Bishop
