St. Elizabeth of Portugal

St. Elizabeth of Portugal was queen of Portugal from 1282-1325. In her youth, Elizabeth was very religious, including saying the Divine Office and fasting. After her arranged marriage to King Denis, she converted her husband to Catholicism. During her husband’s reign, she helped resolve many conflicts and prevent bloodshed in war. After her husband’s death, she became a Third Order Francsican and lived with Poor Clares so she could use her wealth to help poorer members of the community. In 1336, even in her old age, she returned to political life, when she stepped onto a battlefield to resolve a conflict and arrange peace. The effort to bring about peace led to illness and her death later in 1336. In Europe, her feast day is celebrated on July 4, but in the United States it is moved to July 5.