Saint Hildegard
"Sibyl of the Rhine," 4th Female Doctor of the Church, Prophet and Visionary, Composer of Music
Feast Day: September 17th
Hidegard of Bingen lived in the 11th and 12th Centuries in what is now known as Germany. She began experiencing visions at an early age and her family sent her to a monastery where she was fortunate to learn languages, including Latin. She possessed a wide ranging intellect, was able to compose music and write a trilogy that includes the “Book of the Life of Merits” and “Book of the Divine Works.” Her writings included anecdotes about her visions, delved into the meaning of scripture, and also included plays and musical scores, many of which are still performed today. She was a brilliant correspondent and her letters have survived and impart a sense of modern day feminism. She exhorted the values of women bonding together with their works and lives. Her visions often had females as the central characters. Her writings were exemplary for a female and probably better than most the treatises of men during her time period. She was considerably bold and wrote text about menstrual cramps and gynecology! She was designated by Pope Benedict XVI as the 4th female Doctor of the Church. This means her writings are revered and her teachings carry considerable weight in Catholicism today! © 2018 For Cayla
