Do you know what a late bloomer is? Saint Hildegard was considered to be a late bloomer. Saint Hildegard was born to a noble family in the Middle Ages in Germany. When she was very young, she was sent to live and be educated at a cloistered convent when she was only 9 years old. As a teenager, Saint Hildegard became a Benedictine nun.
Throughout her life, since her childhood, she had received divine visions. God asked Saint Hildegard to write down these visions, but she refused. When she finally obeyed, it took her ten years! It wasn't until Saint Hildegard was 50 years old that Pope Eugenius read Saint Hildegard’s accounts and commanded her to write and speak publicly. For this reason, Saint Hildegard is sometimes called the patron saint of late bloomers.
Saint Hildegard is famous for her contributions to the fields of music, botany, nutrition, medicine. She wrote several books and hundreds of letters, many of which survive today. Because Saint Hildegard was not formally educated, she knew that all of her knowledge came from God. She founded two convents late in life. She is one of four female saints to be declared a Doctor of the Church. Saint Hildegard is a patroness for musicians and writers.
Of all of the many different and important things that Saint Hildegard did, the most important is that she gave God all of the credit for everything she accomplished. Let us ask Saint Hildegard to help us to remember that every good thing we do is from God.