St. Hildegard Von Bingen

Hildegard was born in 1098 at Böckelheim. Early biographers say she was from a wealthy family and call her parents Hildebert and Mechtildis. Because her family name is not known, Hildegard is variously called Hildegard of Rupertsberg, or of Bingen, or of Böckelheim. She was placed with the recluse Jutta at age eight, because her parents wanted to dedicate her to God, but as a child she was frequently ill, and could not study diligently. She learned to read, but never learned to write and had to rely on secretaries to put her words on paper. She became a Benedictine nun and was made superior in 1136. Many wanted to join her community and she obtained permission to move it to Rupertsberg in 1146 or 1147. Hildegard was favored with visions from her childhood and at age forty she was order by an inner voice to write them down; reluctantly, after consulting some priests, she dictated her story. Her fame soon spread and many people, including bishops and the nobility came to seek her counsel. She composed beautiful musical compositions and wrote extensively on natural science. A year before she died, Hildegard’s convent was put under interdict, because a man was buried in the adjoining cemetery who had once been excommunicated; the Church authorities at Mainz demanded that the body be removed from consecrated ground, but Hildegard refused since the man had received the last sacraments. After much struggle the interdict was removed. Hildegard died in 1179. She was beatified and is usually given the title Saint, even though she was not formally canonized. Her feast is September 17. In recent years, versions of her musical compositions have been recorded.