Saint Elizabeth of Hungary

Saint Elizabeth of Hungary was born in 1207 to King Andrew II. She was a pious child who was dedicated to proving for the poor and sick, seeing the contradictions between the faith professed and Christian practice.

Saint Elizabeth is an enduring symbol of Christian Charity today, but in her time was criticized for her devotion to the poor. Society viewed her behaviour incongruous with acceptable court life. Among the best known legends about Elizabeth is the one often depicted in paintings and statues showing her meeting her husband unexpectedly on one of her charitable errands. At the time Elizabeth was carrying an armful of food to give to the poor, but when she opened her cloak a bouquet of magnificent red and white roses fell from her hands. This transformation convinced her husband of the worthiness of her kind endeavours, about which he had been chiding her. Saint Elizabeth passed away at the age of twenty four. Her Feast Day is on November 19.

Presentation of the Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on November 21st, commemorates the presentation of the Blessed Virgin as a child by her parents in the Temple in Jerusalem. In thanksgiving for the God's gift of Mary, St. Joachim and St. Anne brought her to the Temple to consecrate their only daughter to The Lord. The celebration of the Feast is first documented in the 11th century within the Byzantine Catholic Church. It was introduced into the Roman Catholic Church in the 15th century by Pope Gregory XI, then removed from the calendar by Pope Pius V in the mid 16th century. Pope Sixtus V later re-established the Feast in 1585, and it is still celebrated today, commemorating the faith of her parents and the purity of Mary.