Saint Walpurga

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Saint Walpurga
Born	c. 710, Devonshire
Died	February 25, 777 or 779, Heidenheim
Canonized	870 by Adrian II
Feast	Varies
Patronage	Eichstätt, Antwerp and other towns
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Saint Walpurga (variants include Walpurgis, Valborg, Walburge, Wealdburg, Valderburger, Valpuri), born in Wessex, c. 710, died at Heidenheim, 25 February 779 was an English missionary to the Frankish Empire She was canonized on 1 May, ca. 870 by Pope Adrian II.

Sint-Walburgakerk, built 1641, was the Jesuit church of Bruges

Together with her brothers, Saint Willibald and Saint Winibald, she travelled to Württemberg to assist Saint Boniface, her mother's brother. She had been well prepared for the call. She was educated in the convent of Wimborne, Dorset, where she spent twenty-six years as a member of the community. Thanks to her rigorous training she was later able to write St. Winibald's vita and an account in Latin of St. Willibald's travels in Palestine, so that she is often credited with being the first female author of both England and Germany.^[1]

She became a nun and lived in the convent of Heidenheim near Eichstätt, which was founded by her brother, Willibald. Walpurga died on 25 February 779 and that day still carries her name in the Catholic calendar, but in some places, e.g. Finland, Sweden and Bavaria, her feast day commemorates the translation of her relics on 1 May. Walpurgis Night is celebrated on the night of April 30th, the eve of Saint Walpurga's feast, when the witches and other occult folk can celebrate before being banished by the dawn of this Saint's special day.

Walpurga is the patroness of Eichstätt, Antwerp, Oudenarde, Furnes, Gronigen, Zutphen and other towns in the Low Countries.^[2]