| Sabina Catherine of East Frisia | |
|---|---|
| Spouse(s) | John III of Rietberg |
| Noble family | Cirksena |
| Father | Enno III, Count of East Frisia |
| Mother | Walburgis, Countess of Rietberg |
| Born | 11 August 1582 Esens |
| Died | 31 May 1618 (aged 35) |
Sabina Catherine of East Frisia or Sabina Catherine Cirksena (11 August 1582, Esens – 31 May 1618) was a Countess of Rietberg.
Sabina Catharina was the eldest child of Count Enno III of East Frisia and his first wife Contess Walburgis of Rietberg. She was born on 11 August 1582 in Esens and baptized on 7 October, also in Esens. In the Treaty of Berum of 28 January, the lands her father had inherited from her mother were divided between Sabina Catherine and her sister Agnes, because their father wanted to marry again. Sabina Catherine was awarded the County of Rietberg.
In 1601, Sabina Catharina married her uncle John III. On 3 March 1601, they entered into a marriage contract. On the next day, abbot Leonard Ruben of Abdinghof Abbey in Rietberg concluded the engagement in the wedding chapel, following the Tridentine rite. The necessary papal dispensation was on 13 Issued April 1600. Even before the wedding the couple converted to the Catholic faith. After the wedding they also reverted their county to Catholicism.
In 1618, the couple laid the foundation for the Franciscan monastery in Rietberg. The founding document of the monastery was issued in 1629.
Sabina Catharina died on 31 May 1618 during the birth of her eleventh child. The coffin was buried in the chapel and closed by two Dutch masons. After her death, Sabina Catharina was revered as a saint. The high altar in the Franciscan monastery was named St. Catherine, in her honor.
Sabina Catherine of East Frisia and John III had eleven children:
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Sabina Catherine of East Frisia
Born: 11 August 1582 Died: 31 May 1618 |
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| Preceded by Walburgis |
Countess of Rietberg 1586-1618 |
Succeeded by John III |