Elizabeth was born into Hungarian royalty in 1207. At age four she was betrothed to Ludwig, the future king of Thuringia. Although surrounded by the extravagance of the court, she quickly became a young woman of prayer and service: even on her wedding day at the age of fourteen she asked that a portion of the funds meant for the celebration be given to the poor.
Ludwig was supportive of his young wife’s generosity, but his family was not so understanding. They, along with others in the court, found Elizabeth’s frequent visits to the poor and distribution of food and supplies unseemly and uncivilized for a queen.
When Ludwig died in a war in 1227, Elizabeth was devastated. Her in-laws responded to this event by kicking her and her three young children out of the castle and replacing Elizabeth with her brother-in-law as ruler.
She was then forced to wander as a vagabond for some time, earning money to support herself and her family.
Eventually, a few loyal relatives, who saw her brother-in-law’s rule as invalid, came to her aid, and helped her raise enough funds to support herself in a small family castle. She promptly and unsurprisingly turned it into a hospital for the poor, whom she served tirelessly for three years until her death in 1231.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Patroness of widows, the poor, the ridiculed, and in-law problems, pray for us.