Saints and Holy People

Find out about their lives and how they changed the world

Saint Mechtildis (d. 1160)

Saint Mechtildis (d. 1160)

Feast day: May 31




Saint Mechtildis was the daughter of a count and countess. Her parents built a monastery on their estate in Bavaria and placed Mechtildis there at the age of five. She became a Benedictine nun and was eventually appointed abbess.

The bishop of Augsburg gave her the special assignment of leading Edelstetten Abbey. In order to keep her sisters from being heavily influenced by the secular world, Mechtildis prohibited secular guests from entering the cloister. Saint Mechtildis was renowned for her mystical gifts and miracles. 

(Image in public domain)