Welcome to the ONE AND ONLY Saturday matchup of Lent Madness 2025! Today in a battle between two popular saints with fascinating backstories, it's Elizabeth of Hungary vs. Felicity.
Yesterday, Emily Cooper trounced Dunstan 82% to 18% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen.
We'll see you at church for the First Sunday in Lent (Great Litany, anyone?) and then see you back here first thing Monday morning for the first full week of saintly action as Gregory the Great takes on Hugh of Lincoln.
Vote now!
Elizabeth of Hungary
Elizabeth of Hungary is one of those saints whose halo hangs on a frame of simplicity. Though her young marriage was a political exchange, as they often were in 1221, she and her husband, Louis, seemed to have a happy noble marriage. She was highly influenced by the new Third Order of Saint Francis and began to give much of their wealth away, and though Louis did not share her pious leanings, was not bothered by it and believed her actions would bring them eternal reward in the long run. Elizabeth took up the cause of the sick, the poor, the friendless, the lonely, and the homeless.
Elizabeth would bake bread, mend clothes, and take things to people in need; while her husband didn’t mind her sharing her time and talent with the peasants, other nobility believed that she was actively stealing from the castle. When she came upon Louis and others while they were out hunting and she was delivering bread, she was asked what was under her cloak. The first of her canonized miracles is that it was not bread that she had baked for the poor with the castle’s flour, but roses, that fell out from her cope. This sufficed for the questioning gentry and comforted Louis that his wife was doing God’s will with God’s protection.
When Louis died only six years into their marriage, Elizabeth was terribly grief stricken, and it’s not hard to imagine why. She and her husband lived a simple life of caring for each other, but more importantly, of caring for those who God loved. She may have become a princess when she married Louis, but when he died, she was given her dowry back and used it establish a hospital; even in her grief she saw beyond her own need.
Elizabeth is the patron saint of the Third Order of St. Francis and received a blessing from Saint Francis before his death in 1226. She was canonized just four years after her death, in the throes of caring for those in need, by Pope Gregory IX, and we remember her on November 19th. Her halo is a simple story of a life dictated by faith and nobility, by dedication and devotion, and most of all by love and compassion.
Collect for Elizabeth of Hungary
Almighty God, by your grace your servant Elizabeth of Hungary recognized and honored Jesus in the poor of this world: Grant that we, following her example, may with love and gladness serve those in any need or trouble, in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Felicity
In 203, in a small town just west of Carthage (in modern day Tunisia), a group of Christian catechumens was arrested. Felicity, along with five others, was transferred to Carthage to be tried in front of the emperor’s regent, Hilarianus. Her story, and that of her fellow martyrs, is told in the text of The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas.
Felicity is identified early in the text as a young slave woman. She was eight months pregnant when she was brought before the governor. Her crime was being a Christian.
Romans would not send a pregnant woman into the arena. Felicity and her friends were worried that she would not be allowed to join them in their martyrdom, being instead left to die with common criminals. They did not want Felicity to have to “travel alone on the same road to hope.”
Two days before their execution, they gathered together, filled with grief and in fervent prayer. Immediately after their prayer, Felicity went into a difficult labor. Her daughter was born and given to a fellow Christian who raised the girl as her own daughter.
Felicity was greatly relieved, as she would now be able to join the others in the arena. During games commemorating the fourteenth birthday of Geta, the younger son of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus, Felicity and the other catechumens were sent to the arena. As they approached the spectacle, The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas reports,
“With them also was Felicitas, glad that she had safely given birth so that now she could fight the beasts, going from one blood bath to another, from the midwife to the gladiator, ready to wash after childbirth in a second baptism.”
Wild beasts were unleashed on the men and a mad heifer was prepared for the women. The women were initially dragged naked in nets into the arena. Seeing their youth and that Felicity had so recently given birth, the crowd was horrified. The women were therefore clothed in unbelted tunics and forced to face the angry cow.
Miraculously, both Felicity and Perpetua survived being trampled. Felicity was injured but helped up by Perpetua. At once they were sentenced to death by the sword. Again from The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas,
“And so the martyrs got up and went to the spot of their own accord as the people wanted them to, and kissing one another they sealed their martyrdom with the ritual kiss of peace. [They] took the sword in silence and without moving.”
Felicity is a patron saint of mothers who have lost their children.
Collect for Felicity
O God, the King of Saints, who strengthened your servants Perpetua, Felicity, and their companions to make a good confession and to encourage one another in the time of trial: Grant that we who cherish their blessed memory may share their pure and steadfast faith, and win with them the palm of victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
248 comments on “Elizabeth of Hungary vs. Felicity”
I did not vote and it thanked me for my vote.
Could not get the check mark in to vote
Hi, I'm trying to vote and it's not letting me... It's also telling me "thank you for voting" but I have yet to vote for Saturdays matchup...
Elizabeth of Hungary's life shines as a testament to the transformative power of genuine compassion. In a world often driven by power and prestige, she chose a path of radical humility and selfless service. Her unwavering dedication to the sick, the poor, and the marginalized reveals a heart deeply attuned to the love of God.
The miracle of the roses is more than just a charming story; it's a symbol of divine protection and affirmation of her righteous path. Despite the skepticism and judgment of those around her, she remained steadfast in her commitment to serving others, even in the face of personal grief. Her establishment of a hospital after her husband's death, using her own dowry, is a powerful example of turning sorrow into selfless action.
Elizabeth's life reminds us that true nobility lies not in titles or wealth, but in the willingness to extend love and care to those in need. Her simple yet profound example continues to inspire us to live lives of faith, dedication, and unwavering compassion. She truly embodies the spirit of Christ's love in action, and her legacy deserves our deepest admiration and support.
My vote was already cast before I could vote. So sad.
I’m getting an error message…”vote not allowed ( error 2)”. I swear I haven’t tried to vote twice!
Again it's thanking me for my vote and I haven't voted!!! What seems to be the problem.?
Today it’s thanking me for my vote, which I have not yet cast?
I’m thanked for a vote I never submitted. ?? C’mon, guys!
Second day - Thanks for my vote before I voted. Safari on iOS 18.3.1
Didn’t get a chance to vote, but was told thank you for my vote
I didn’t vote but it says I did. Was going for Elizabeth
What is ”error 2” which disallowed my vote???
Today when I scrolled down to vote, there was a “thank you for your vote” message. I DID NOT have a chance to vote!
What is happening this year? I have yet to be able to cast a vote!
I was thanked for my vote however I did not push a vote button. It would have been for Elizabeth of Hungary if anyone is counting this. Thanks
The site did not allow me to vote today
Again, I couldn’t vote. I see that I’m not alone in the problem.
It is 1:00 and I still do not have the option to vote.
Received error 2 no vote. ?
Still can’t vote. We’re into serious three strikes territory now. Happy Lent.
For the first 3 days I have yet been able to vote. It says thank you for your vote before I voted. I want to be able to vote. Please help.
Thursday it wouldn't let me vote. Today it said I'm already voted. What is going on?
The voting is not working again. Please fix this.
This was a difficult decision. Felicity certainly deserves all honor for her faith, bravery, commitment and her willingness to be come a martyr.
However, my mother-in-law was Hungarian and I have read a lot about the history of that part of the world.
In addition, Elizabeth's humility, simplicity, and faithful good works recommend her. I especially was moved by her complete lack of worldliness. I am glad she was so quickly counted as one of the Saints.
I’m in the it-says-I-voted-but-I-didn’t club. If I could vote I would vote for Elizabeth because in my way of thinking doing something to improve the lives of God’s most vulnerable children trumps (cough) martyrdom. But both are fine Saints and informative write ups from our celebrity bloggers!
I didn't get to vote but would have voted for Elizabeth of Hungary. When I got to the site it said that I had already voted.
I still am not able to enter my vote. I still get the "thank you for your vote" message when I scroll down to vote. Please caste my vote for Elizabeth.
There’s something wrong with the voting. It said I had voted before I did! Does the website read minds now??
I wish I could vote for Elizabeth twice (but I didn’t). I taught for many years at Wartburg College, named for the Wartburg Castle which was Elizabeth’s marital home, and I also have ties with the Lutheran Church in Hungary, Elizabeth’s homeland.
I went to vote got Elizabeth of Hungary but it said thank you for your vote.