Kinga of Poland

Saint Kinga of Poland
Born	5 March 1224 Esztergom, Kingdom of Hungary
Died	24 July 1292 (aged 68) Stary Sącz
Venerated in	Catholic Church
Beatified	11 June 1690 by Pope Alexander VIII
Canonized	16 June 1999 by Pope John Paul II
Feast	24 July
Attributes	depicted as an abbess; crown
Patronage	Poland, Lithuania

Saint Kinga of Poland (also known as Cunegunda; Polish: Święta Kinga, Hungarian: Szent Kinga) (5 March 1224 – 24 July 1292) is a saint in the Catholic Church and patroness of Poland and Lithuania.^[1][2]

Biography

She was born in Esztergom, Kingdom of Hungary, the daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary and Maria Laskarina. She was a niece of Elizabeth of Hungary and great-niece of Saint Hedwig. Kinga's sisters were Saint Margaret of Hungary and blessed Jolenta of Poland. She reluctantly married Bolesław V ("the Chaste") and became princess when her husband ascended the throne as Prince of Krakow.^[3] Despite the marriage, the devout couple took up a vow of chastity. The marriage was largely arranged by and the vow of chastity patterned after that of Boleslaw's sister, blessed Salome of Krakow.^[4]

During her reign Kinga got involved in charitable works such as visiting the poor and helping the lepers. When her husband died in 1279, she sold all her material possessions and gave the money to the poor. She soon did not want any part in governing the kingdom which was left to her and decided to join the Poor Clares monastery at Sandec (Stary Sącz). She would spend the rest of her life in contemplative prayer and did not allow anyone to refer to her past role as Grand Duchess of Poland. She died on 24 July 1292, aged 68.

Veneration

Pope Alexander VIII beatified Kinga in 1690. In 1695, she was made chief patroness of Poland and Lithuania. On 16 June 1999, she was canonized by Pope John Paul II.^[5]

Legend

The story has Kinga throwing her engagement ring into the Maramures salt mine in Hungary. The ring miraculously traveled along with salt deposits to Wieliczka where it was rediscovered. Saint Kingas Chapel depicting when a miner finds her ring. They erected a statue of Saint Kinga, patron saint of the salt miners, carved on salt in the cathedral of Saint Kinga of Poland, in the salt mine of Wieliczka in Poland, 101 meters under the surface..^[6]

<gallery caption=""Saint Kinga" mode="packed" heights="154px">

File:Wislica swKinga 20070825 1044.jpg|The wooden sculpture of Saint Kinga of Poland in Wiślica. Image:Nowy Korczyn Kinga 20060513 1156.jpg|Statue of St. Kinga (1820) in Nowy Korczyn File:Święta Kinga (sculpture).jpg|St. Joseph's Church, Muszyna, Poland File:Wieliczka salt mine.jpg|Saint Kinga's Chapel, Wieliczka Salt Mine File:Saint Kinga (3869601170).jpg|Statue of Saint Kinga, carved in salt in the cathedral of Saint Kinga of Poland File:Szent Kinga.jpg| Saint Kingas Chapel depicting when a miner finds her ring. File:Wieliczka.Kopalnia soli.Kaplica św.Kingi.Ołtarz.jpg|Saint Kinga of Poland's altar in Wieliczka

File:Blogoslawiona Kinga 1.jpg| St. Kinga, depicted by Włodzimierz Tetmajer Image:StSacz kinga.jpg|Monument to St. Kinga at the monastery of Stary Sącz Image:Saint Kinga.jpg|Statue of Saint Kinga, near Trzy Korony Image:St Kinga Icon.jpg|St Kinga icon, near Rochester, New York File:Święta Kinga.jpeg|Saint Kinga of Poland </gallery>

Ancestry

Ancestors of Kinga of Poland

16. Géza II of Hungary               8. Béla III of Hungary                       17. Euphrosyne of Kiev               4. Andrew II of Hungary                             18. Raynald of Châtillon               9. Agnes of Antioch                       19. Constance of Antioch               2. Béla IV of Hungary                                   20. Berthold III of Andechs               10. Berthold IV, Duke of Merania                       21. Hedwig of Wittelsbach               5. Gertrude of Merania                             22. Dedo V, Count of Wettin               11.Agnes of Wettin and Rochlitz                       23. Matilda of Heinsberg               1. Kinga of Poland                                         24. ?               12. Manuel Laskaris                       25. ?               6. Theodore I Laskaris                             26. ?               13. Ioanna Karatzaina                       27. ?               3. Maria Laskarina                                   28. Andronicos Dukas Angelos               14. Byzantine Emperor Alexios III Angelos                       29. Euphrosyne Castamonitissa               7. Anna Komnena Angelina                             30. Andronikos Doukas Kamateros               15. Euphrosyne Doukaina Kamatera                       31. ?

See also

Sources

1. "Katolikus.hu St Kinga". www.katolikus.hu. Retrieved 2015.
2. "St Kinga". Catholic Encyclopedia. 1915. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
3. Sokol, Stanley S. (1992). "Cunegunda (Helen)". The Polish Biographical Dictionary: Profiles of Nearly 900 Poles who Have Made Lasting Contributions to World Civilization. Bolchazy-Carducci. p. 74. ISBN 9780865162457.
4. Klaniczay, Gábor (2002-03-14). Holy Rulers and Blessed Princesses: Dynastic Cults in Medieval Central Europe. Cambridge UP. pp. 242–43. ISBN 9780521420181.
5. Berglund, Bruce R.; Porter, Brian A. (2010). Christianity and Modernity in Eastern Europe. Central European UP. pp. 368 n.61. ISBN 9789639776654.
6. "wielizka-mine-an-underground-cathedral-". /www.googobits.com. Retrieved November 2014.

External links