Blessed Hildegun of Schönau
Also known as
- Joseph
- Brother Joseph
- Hildegun of Neuss
- Hildegunda…
- Hildegunde…
- Hildegund…
- Ildegonda…
Profile
Dressed as a boy for her own safety, Hildegun accompanied her father on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On her return home, she kept the male disguise, joined the Cistercian monks at Schönau, Germany, and lived the rest of her life as a brother, using the name Joseph. Legend describes her as a miracle worker, and her sex was discovered only on her death. Of all the old stories with this motif, and there are several, Hildegun’s has the best and most convincing documentation by her own order.
Born
- in the Rhineland, Germany
- no formal beatification or canonization
- widespread popular devotion has existed for centuries
- young woman wearing the habit of a male Cistercian novice
- young woman on horseback accompanied by an angel
- just after her death when the brother monks discover that she is a woman
MLA Citation
- “Blessed Hildegun of Schönau“. CatholicSaints.Info. 16 February 2024. Web. 3 May 2024. <>