Mafalda of Portugal

Mafalda of Portugal (c. 1200 ( born after other sources to 1184 ) in Portugal, † May 1, 1257 in Arouca, Portugal) was a Portuguese princess, Queen of Castile and nun. She is worshiped in the Catholic Church as Blessed.

Life and work

As far as we can reconstruct the life of the Blessed Mafalda, she was born as the daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal, as the sister of his successor, Alfonso II of Portugal and Infanta Sancha also beatified and Theresa. Around the year 1215, she married the minor, Castilian King Henry I., with whom she marriage could not take place due to his young age. Age of 13, the young king died 1217th Pope Innocent III. 1216 declared the marriage annulled.

Mafalda returned to her native Portugal, where they henceforth devoted himself to the reform of monasteries, and entered in Arouca in the local Cistercian monastery, which she also underwent extensive reforms. Also, the Cistercian Monastery of São Bento in Rio Tinto was reformed by it. They also had several arms build hospitals. For this she was called by the people " Rainha Santa Mafalda " ( holy Queen Mafalda ). Shortly before her death in 1255 she was still with Pope Alexander IV in correspondence.

Mafalda of Portugal died in 1257 in the Monastery of Arouca. Buried it is in the convent where she is in a reliquary from 1718. The Blessed Mafalda is one of the so-called incorruptible saints.

Beatification

By Pope Pius VI. was found on 27 June 1793, the required inter alia for a beatification heroic virtues Mafalda. Your Memorial Day in the Roman Catholic Church is May 2