October 16
St Hedwig, Widow
Friday after the 20th Sunday after Pentecost
Today, according to the traditional 1962 Roman calendar, the Church commemorates St. Hedwig, Widow (S. Hedwigis Viduæ), a figure venerated for her sanctity, charity, and dedication to the poor. Born in the late 12th century, probably in Bavaria, Hedwig married Duke Henry I of Silesia and became a model of Christian wifehood, motherhood, and leadership. After raising a family and enduring many trials, including political strife and the loss of several children, she devoted herself entirely to God upon her husband’s death, choosing a life of poverty and penance. She entered the Cistercian monastery at Trebnitz, which she had founded, living there in great humility though not taking formal vows.
Hedwig is renowned for her self-sacrificial spirit and deep compassion for the poor, the sick, and imprisoned; she is also associated with peace-making during tumultuous periods in Central Europe. Her profound personal piety, charity, and practical wisdom contributed to her being revered as a model for noblewomen and for rulers seeking to combine power with Christian virtue. Hedwig was canonized in 1267, and her feast is celebrated on October 16 in the traditional calendar. This day honors her as an outstanding lay woman who, after a life of public duty and trial, chose humility and service, and whose holy example continues to inspire the faithful, making her feast a III classis (third-class) observance. The Church venerates her on this date to recall both her earthly trials and her heavenly intercession, especially on behalf of families and the needy.
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Questions about St Hedwig, Widow (Vetus Ordo Missae)
Local variations
- Canada — St. Marie-Marguerite d’Youville, religious
The liturgical day
IntroitPs 118:1
Latin
Ps 118:75; 118:120
Cognóvi, Dómine, quia ǽquitas iudícia tua, et in veritáte tua humiliásti me: confíge timóre tuo carnes meas, a mandátis tuis tímui.
Ps 118:1
Beáti immaculáti in via: qui ámbulant in lege Dómini.
℣. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
℟. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.
Cognóvi, Dómine, quia ǽquitas iudícia tua, et in veritáte tua humiliásti me: confíge timóre tuo carnes meas, a mandátis tuis tímui.
English
Ps 118:75; 118:120
I know, O Lord, that Your ordinances are just, and in Your faithfulness You have afflicted me. Pierce my flesh with Your fear; I fear Your ordinances.
Ps 118:1
Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
I know, O Lord, that Your ordinances are just, and in Your faithfulness You have afflicted me. Pierce my flesh with Your fear; I fear Your ordinances.
Collect
Latin
Deus, qui beátam Hedwígem a sǽculi pompa ad húmilem tuæ Crucis sequélam toto corde transíre docuísti: concéde; ut eius méritis et exémplo discámus peritúras mundi calcáre delícias, et in ampléxu tuæ Crucis ómnia nobis adversántia superáre:
Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patre, in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
℟. Amen.
English
O God, Who taught blessed Hedwig to forsake worldly vanities that she might with her whole heart humbly follow Your cross, grant that, through her merits and example, we may learn to renounce the perishable delights of the world and, by embracing Your cross, overcome all things opposed to us.
Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
℟. Amen
LessonProv 31:10-31
Latin
Léctio libri Sapiéntiæ
Prov 31:10-31
Mulíerem fortem quis invéniet? Procul et de últimis fínibus prétium eius. Confídit in ea cor viri sui, et spóliis non indigébit. Reddet ei bonum, et non malum, ómnibus diébus vitæ suæ. Quæsívit lanam et linum, et operáta est consílio mánuum suárum. Facta est quasi navis institóris, de longe portans panem suum. Et de nocte surréxit, dedítque prædam domésticis suis, et cibária ancíllis suis. Considerávit agrum, et emit eum: de fructu mánuum suárum plantávit víneam. Accínxit fortitúdine lumbos suos, et roborávit bráchium suum. Gustávit, et vidit, quia bona est negotiátio eius: non exstinguétur in nocte lucérna eius. Manum suam misit ad fórtia, et dígiti eius apprehendérunt fusum. Manum suam apéruit ínopi, et palmas suas exténdit ad páuperem. Non timébit dómui suæ a frigóribus nivis: omnes enim doméstici eius vestíti sunt duplícibus. Stragulátam vestem fecit sibi: byssus et púrpura induméntum eius. Nóbilis in portis vir eius, quando séderit cum senatóribus terræ. Síndonem fecit et véndidit, et cíngulum trádidit Chananǽo. Fortitúdo et decor induméntum eius, et ridébit in die novíssimo. Os suum apéruit sapiéntiæ, et lex cleméntiæ in lingua eius. Considerávit sémitas domus suæ, et panem otiósa non comédit. Surrexérunt fílii eius, et beatíssimam prædicavérunt: vir eius, et laudávit eam. Multæ fíliæ congregavérunt divítias: tu supergréssa es univérsas. Fallax grátia, et vana est pulchritúdo: múlier timens Dóminum, ipsa laudábitur. Date ei de fructu mánuum suárum: et laudent eam in portis ópera eius.
℟. Deo grátias.
English
Lesson from the book of Proverbs
Prov 31:10-31
When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands. Like merchant ships, she secures her provisions from afar. She rises while it is still night, and distributes food to her household. She picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She is girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms. She enjoys the success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. She fears not the snow for her household; all her charges are doubly clothed. She makes her own coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing. Her husband is prominent at the city gates as he sits with the elders of the land. She makes garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel. She watches the conduct of her household, and eats not her food in idleness. Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her: Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
℟. Thanks be to God.
GradualPs 44:5
Latin
Ps 44:3; 44:5
Diffúsa est grátia in labiis tuis: proptérea benedíxit te Deus in ætérnum.
℣. Propter veritátem et mansuetúdinem et iustítiam: et dedúcet te mirabíliter déxtera tua. Allelúia, allelúia.
Ps 44:5
Spécie tua et pulchritúdine tua inténde, próspere procéde et regna. Allelúia.
English
Ps 44:3; 44:5
Grace is poured out upon your lips; thus God has blessed you forever.
℣. In the cause of truth and mercy and for the sake of justice: may your right hand show you wondrous deeds. Alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 44.5
℣. In your splendor and your beauty ride on triumphant, and reign. Alleluia.
GospelMatt 13:44-52
Latin
℟. Glória tibi, Dómine.
Matt 13:44-52
In illo témpore: Dixit Iesus discípulis suis parábolam hanc: Símile est regnum cœlórum thesáuro abscóndito in agro: quem qui invénit homo, abscóndit, et præ gáudio illíus vadit, et vendit univérsa, quæ habet, et emit agrum illum. Íterum símile est regnum cœlórum hómini negotiatóri, quærénti bonas margarítas. Invénta autem una pretiósa margaríta, ábiit, et véndidit ómnia, quæ hábuit, et emit eam. Íterum símile est regnum cœlórum sagénæ missæ in mare et ex omni génere píscium congregánti. Quam, cum impléta esset, educéntes, et secus litus sedéntes, elegérunt bonos in vasa, malos autem foras misérunt. Sic erit in consummatióne sǽculi: exíbunt Angeli, et separábunt malos de médio iustórum, et mittent eos in camínum ignis: ibi erit fletus et stridor déntium. Intellexístis hæc ómnia? Dicunt ei: Etiam. Ait illis: Ideo omnis scriba doctus in regno cœlórum símilis est hómini patrifamílias, qui profert de thesáuro suo nova et vétera.
English
℟. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
Matt 13:44-52.
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to His disciples: The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; he who finds it hides it, and in his joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he finds a single pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea that gathered in fish of every kind. When it was filled, they hauled it out, and sitting down on the beach, they gathered the good fish into vessels, but threw away the bad. So will it be at the end of the world. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the just, and will cast them into the furnace of fire, where there will be the weeping, and the gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things? They said to Him, Yes. And He said to them, So then, every Scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings forth from his storeroom things new and old.
OffertoryPs 44:3
Latin
Ps 44:3
Diffúsa est grátia in lábiis tuis: proptérea benedíxit te Deus in ætérnum, et in sǽculum sǽculi.
English
Ps 44:3
Grace is poured out upon your lips; thus God has blessed you forever, and for ages of ages.
Secret
Latin
Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
℟. Amen.
English
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.
CommunionPs 44:8
Latin
Ps 44:8
Dilexísti iustítiam, et odísti iniquitátem: proptérea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, óleo lætítiæ præ consórtibus tuis.
English
Ps 44:8
You love justice and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
Post Communion
Latin
Satiásti, Dómine, famíliam tuam munéribus sacris: eius, quǽsumus, semper interventióne nos réfove, cuius sollémnia celebrámus.
Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
℟. Amen.
English
Thou hast fed thy servants, O Lord, with the holy gifts; comfort us ever we pray, by her intercession whose festival we celebrate.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.
Vetus Ordo texts: Divinum Officium