Saint Odilia of Alsace (Odilia of Hohenbourg, Odilia of Hohenburg, Adilia, Odile, Othilia, Ottilia)

Saint Odilia of Alsace (Odilia of Hohenbourg, Odilia of Hohenburg,
Adilia, Odile, Othilia, Ottilia)
660 - 720.
Patronage:
against eye disease
against eye problems
Alsace, France (proclaimed in 1807 by Pope Pius VII)
.
Odilia was the daughter of Etichon (also known as Athich, Adalrich or Aldaric), Duke of Alsace and founder of the Etichonid noble family. Because she was born blind, and was a girl, her father did not want her. Rather that having her killed, her mother Bethswinda had her brought to Palma (perhaps present day Baume-les-Dames in Burgundy), where she was raised by peasants.
.
When she was twelve, Odilia was taken into a nearby monastery. Whilst there, the itinerant bishop Saint Erhard of Regensburg was led by an angel to Palma, where he baptised her Odilia, whereupon she miraculously recovered her sight.
.
Her younger brother Hughes had her brought home again to use her in an arranged marriage. This enraged Etichon so much that he struck and accidentally killed his son. Odilia raised her brother back to life, then fled to the convent to escape the marriage.
.
Odilia's father followed her, but when a mountain opened a cave to hide her, and then dropped rocks on him, he gave up the idea. She joined the abbey.
.
When Etichon fell ill, Odile returned to nurse him. He finally gave up resisting his daughter and founded the Augustine monastic community of Mont Ste. Odile (also known as Hohenburg Abbey) in the Hochwald (Hohwald), Bas-Rhin, where Odilia became abbess and where Etichon was later buried. Some years later Odile was shown the site of Niedermünster at the foot of the mountain by St. John the Baptist in a vision. There she founded a second monastery, including a hospital. Here, the head and an arm of St. Lazarus of Marseille were displayed but later transferred to Andlau. The buildings of the Niedermünster burned down in 1542, but the local well is still said to cure eye diseases.
.
St. Odilia died in 720 at the convent of Niedermünster. At the insistent prayers of her sisters she was returned to life, but after describing the beauties of the afterlife to them, she took communion by herself and died again. She was buried at Ste. Odile.
.
Eternal Father, I wish to honor St. Odilia of Alsace, and I give Thee thanks for all the graces Thou hast bestowed upon her. I ask Thee to please increase grace in my soul through the merits of this saint, and I commit the end of my life to her by this special prayer, so that by virtue of Thy goodness and promise, St. Odilia of Alsace might be my advocate and provide whatever is needed at that hour. Amen.