Poverty Is a Royal Virtue, St. Elizabeth of Hungary

Today we celebrate the feast of the patroness of the Franciscan Third Order, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, who married into nobility whilst remaining very devoted to the service of the poor and vulnerable. After being banished from her royal dwelling following the death of her husband, she requested to be received as a Franciscan Tertiary, desirous to embrace a life of extreme poverty. Upon being accepted, she and her children sang the Te Deum, giving thanks to the Lord for the beautiful gift of a Franciscan vocation.