Today December 16

Today is the feast of St. Adelaide, laywoman (931 - 999). She was a married woman, 4 children, previously married in an unhappy marriage, and had a difficult life to say the least. Although she was married first to the King of Italy (Lothair of Provence) and gave birth to a single child, a daughter with the surprisingly modern name of Emma, and was married next to Otto I, Emperor, that didn't mean she was always treated royally. She was roughly thrown into prison by the successor of her first husband (Berenger) and barely managed to escape after four months in the dungeon. Her crime? Refusing to marry the barbarian's son. Then she was exiled TWICE by her conniving daughter-in-law Theophano, once during the reign of her son Otto II and then during the reign of her grandson Otto III (and she was supposed to be vice-regent with Theophano!). Finally the princess died and Adelaide returned to court to be with her grandson. She helped him reign til he came of age in 995 and then she could retire. She built and restored many monasteries and convents and was heavily involved in the Cluniac reform of the Benedictines, which was kind of ironic because a major plan of that reform was to completely disengage the monks from any secular authority. Each house was responsible only to itself and to the pope . . .which was a good thing because monasteries were becoming quite worldly and convenient places to drop off your second and subsequent sons! It was a movement designed to wed humility with authority and over all to put on love. It was entirely appropriate that one who was such a good mother should back a reform so like unto motherhood. She died on a journey to see her nephew Rudolph in 999. St. Adelaide, pray for us.