Saint Attala of Strasbourg

As soon as the monastery buildings were completed, the Duke chose to govern it his d aughte Attale First abbess of Saint-Étienne in Strasbourg in the 8th century. r Attala, whom he had with Gerlinde, his first wife, and who had been trained under the care of Saint Odile, her a sainte Odile Aunt and mentor of Saint Attala, founder of Hohenbourg. unt. Attala introduced into her community the Canonical Rule then followed at Hohenb ourg, as b Hohenbourg Place of the saint's retreat and death. eing more proportionate to the delicacy of her sex than that of Saint Benedict. She walked in the footsteps of her blessed aunt, and gave to Strasbourg the beautiful examples of virtue that the latter gave at Hohenbourg. She knew how to combine with the tenderest piety an inseparable gentleness that won her all hearts; for this piety had nothing fierce or repulsive about it. Amiable in all her actions, considerate towards others, Attala was always severe with herself, granting her nuns what she denied herself, and fulfilling towards them, with refined attention, the duties of a good mother who tenderly cherishes her children.

Attala was the object of her community's edification until the end of her days, which came around the year 741. The city of Strasbourg regarded her as a tutelary angel and held her in the highest veneration. To respond to the devotion of the faithful, it was necessary to leave her body exposed for five weeks; the idea of her holiness was so great that people flocked from all parts to commend themselves to her intercession. It is said that Werentrude, Abbess of Hohenbourg and a particular friend of Attala, burning with the desire to have her relics, resorted to a means then authorized by the keen eagerness to possess the relics of Saints. Having revealed her design to a priest named Werner, she sent him to the church of Saint-Étienne, under the pretext of praying near the body of the Saint which was exposed there, but in fact with the secret commission to seize her right hand by cutting it off. Werner went there and found a way to faithfully execute Werentrude's order. He was on the point of returning to Hohenbourg to deliver the relic he had taken to the Abbess when he was discovered: this hand was enclosed in a crystal box and kept in the church of Saint-Étienne, as well as a black wool cloak, which is claimed to have belonged to Saint Attala, and which each abbess was obliged to put on her should ers upon her sainte Attale First abbess of Saint-Étienne in Strasbourg in the 8th century. accession. This hand is preserved today in the church of Sainte-Madeleine, where it is exposed every year to the veneration of the faithful on December église de Sainte-Madeleine Current location where the hand of Saint Attala is preserved. 3.

Saint Attala is represented with a well near her, because, in the abbey of Saint-Étienne, the crypt contained a well whose water was sought after for many healings.

Abbot Hanckier, *Sainte d'Alsace*; Father Cahier, *Caractéristiques des Saints*.