St. Hildegard of Bingen

St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was a Benedictine abbess and mystic called the Sybil of the Rhine.  She was born in Bockelheim, Germany. Sickly as a child, she was given to an aunt, Jutta, for care in a hermitage near Speyer. She founded Rupertsberg Convent near Bingen around 1147. She was one of the first great German mystics, a poetess, and prophetess. Her music and poetry have remained popular over the centuries, all part of her recorded mystical experiences. Her best known work is Scivias, written between 1141 and 1151, relating twenty six of her visions.

Although she has been revered as a saint for centuries, and several Roman Pontiffs have referred to her by that title, the process of canonization was never officially completed in her case. On May 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI eliminated any lingering uncertainty by announcing that St. Hildegard should be inscribed in the catalogue of saints. Her Feast Day is September 17.