Saint Aurelia

Her beauty possessed such charms that she was admired by the entire court; yet, she was so virtuous and modest that she never allowed any man to approach her. Therefore, having discovered that her father had promised her in marriage to a young prince of his blood, named Elwieu, and that preparations were Elwieu Young prince to whom Aurélie was betrothed. already being made for the solemnity of the wedding, she had the cleverness to disguise herself, to leave the royal palace secretly, and to flee to Germany to Saint Wolfgang, Bishop of Rege saint Wolfgang Bishop of Regensburg who welcomed and protected Aurelia. nsburg.

She believed that she would not be known to him in the poor state in which she was, especially since she asked him for alms; but this great prelate, who had received from above an excellent gift of prophecy to know the most hidden secrets, soon perceived who she was. He admired her virtue in having left so many honors and riches to embrace the humiliated state of the cross of Jesus Christ, and, seeing her disposed to spend the rest of her days in solitude, he had a hermitage built for her, where he enclosed her, so that being entirely for Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ would also be entirely for her.

She remained there for fifty-two years, ignored by men, but cherished, honored, and visited by her heavenly Spouse. Her life was nothing but a continuous fast and prayer. She preserved herself inviolably in the purity of body that nature had given her, and in the purity of soul that she had received at baptism. Finally, after having performed several miracles, which were marks of her eminent holiness, she was called to heaven by her divine Lover, and she went there to receive the crown of immortal glory. This was around October 15 of the year 1027, about twenty-eight years after the death of Saint Wolfg saint Wolfgang Bishop of Regensburg who welcomed and protected Aurelia. ang.

Her body was solemnly carried to the Abbey of Saint Emmeram, where her tomb was raised from the ground in the middle of the cloister with this inscription: *Hic pia florescit Aurelia virgo sepulta : quæ pænas nescit, cæli dulcedine fulta ;* that is to say: "Under this marble is the body of the virgin Aurelia, whom heaven favored with a thousand blessings; she tastes the true life without end, for the splendor of the false goods that her heart knew how to despise."

The Roman Martyrology and that of Usuard place her memory in Strasbourg; but if that cathedral church celebrates Ratisbonne Episcopal see occupied by Albert. her feast, that of Regensburg, which possesses her relics and which was the place of her death, has honored her for eight hundred years as one of its principal protecto rs. Her hermitage was changed into chapelle sous le nom de Saint-André Former hermitage of the saint converted into a chapel. a chapel under the name of Saint Andrew.

We have known her life in Rocca, Corona, History of the Fathers of the West; in Michel Roderus, Holy Bavaria, and in Du Saussay, Martyrology of the Saints of France. — This entry is by Fr. Giry.