February 25--St. Walburga, Abbess

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Not many know that some women in the Catholic Church were in charge of double monasteries, which is an institution of both men and women religious in separate facilities. They were founded so that the spiritual needs of the nuns could be attended to by the priests of the male community. St. Bridget of Ireland established one in Kildare and Sts. Cuthberga and Quimburga established one at Wimbourne in England where today’s saint was educated. St. Walburga became abbess over the double monastery at Heidenheim, Germany her brother, St. Winibald, founded after he died.

St. Walburga had sainthood in her genes. Her father was St. Richard, an under-king of the West Saxons of Britain; her uncle was St. Boniface, Apostle of Germany; and her two brothers, St. Willibald, who became a bishop, and St. Winibald, both missionaries to Germany. She was known for miraculous events, including being able to walk through fierce guard dogs, calming seas, and healing. She wrote a biography of St. Winibald and an account of St. Willibald’s travels in the Holy Land, thus earning her the honor as the first female author of England and Germany. She spent much of her life at Wimborne but was called to Germany by St. Boniface to continue their missionary work by her prayers. Even after her death in AD 779 her bones exuded an oil that has miraculous powers, which continues to today.

“According to the nuns at her shrine, Walburga’s genius was in being ‘open to God, to his calling, to his guidance, to his demands so as to be ready in every situation to accept his plan.’” Humility and obedience to God’s will requires prayer and acceptance of God’s will. We can follow St. Walburga by giving ourselves over to God, especially by receiving the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist.

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