Hemma of Gurk

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Saint Hemma of Gurk
Hemma of Gurk, by Sebald Bopp, ca. 1510.
Born	~980
Died	27 June, 1045
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	21 November, 1287
Canonized	5 January, 1938 by Pope Pius XI
Major shrine	Gurk Cathedral
Feast	27 June
Attributes	Depicted as a noble lady with either a model of a church, a legal deed or a rose, or distributing alms.
Patronage	Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt; state of Carinthia; invoked during childbirth and against diseases of the eye
Saints Portal

Hemma of Gurk (sometimes Emma) (c. 980 – 27 June 1045)^[1] is a saint and a founder of religious houses in Austria.

1 Life
2 Hemma Pilgrimage
3 Notes
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Life

Hemma was a member of the noble family of Peilenstein, related to the Liutpoldings of Bavaria and thus to Emperor Henry II. She was born Countess of Zeltschach and was brought up at the Imperial court in Bamberg by the Empress Saint Cunigunde. She married Count Wilhelm of Friesach and of the Sanngau, by whom she had two sons, Hartwig and Wilhelm. Countess Hemma used her great wealth for the benefit of the poor and was already venerated as a saint during her lifetime. In addition she founded ten churches. Both her sons and her husband were murdered, the latest of them probably in 1036. In 1043 she founded a Benedictine double monastery at Gurk in Carinthia in Austria, into which she withdrew during the last years of her life.

After her death Gurk Abbey was dissolved by the Archbishop of Salzburg, Gebhard, who instead used the funds to set up the Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt in 1072. Admont Abbey, another Benedictine foundation in Austria, was founded in 1074 by the same Gebhard, and also owes its existence to Hemma's wealth.

Since 1174 Hemma has been buried in the crypt of Gurk Cathedral, of which she is accounted the founder. She was beatified on 21 November 1287 and canonised on 5 January 1938 by Pope Pius XI. Her feast day is 27 June.^[1]

She is the patron saint of the Diocese of Gurk-Klagenfurt as well as of the Austrian state of Carinthia, and her intercession is sought for childbirth and diseases of the eye.

[edit] Hemma Pilgrimage

Saint Emma is venerated not only in Austria but also in Slovenia and Styria. From about 300 years ago, the pious and those seeking assistance have been coming to her tomb in Gurk Cathedral (Krška katedrala), travelling from Carniola over the Ljubelj/Loibl Pass. This pilgrimage took place every year on the fourth Sunday after Easter, but fell out of use as a result of the political circumstances of the 20th century.

In recent years, however, the routes of pilgrimage from Slovenia and Styria to Gurk (Krka) have gradually reopened and are becoming increasingly used.

[edit] Notes

^ ^a ^b 29 June according to Gurk Cathedral

[edit] References

Messner, Sepp, 1995: Hemma von Gurk. Wesentliches kurz gefaßt. Kolbnitz: S. Messner.
Prenner-Walzl, Irene Maria, 1987: Das Leben der Heiligen Hemma von Gurk und dessen künstlerische Ausdeutung im Laufe der Geschichte. (Thesis) University of Graz.
Till, Josef, 1999: Hemmas Welt. Hemma von Gurk - ein Frauenschicksal im Mittelalter. Klagenfurt/Celovec: Hermagoras/Mohorjeva. ISBN 3-85013-634-5
Tropper, Peter Günther (ed.), 1988: Hemma von Gurk. (Exhibition catalogue) Carinthia, Klagenfurt. ISBN 3-85378-315-5
Vieser, Dolores, 1999: Hemma von Gurk. Carinthia, Klagenfurt. ISBN 3-85378-505-0