St. Agnes of Prague - 2nd March 2010

St. Agnes of Bohemia, was born at Prague in 1200 A.D.. The daughter of Premsyl Ottokar I, King of Bohemia (1198-1230 A.D.) and his second wife, Constance, daughter of Béla III, King of Hungary, she was at the age of three betrothed to Boleslaw, the elder son of Henryk I, Duke of Silesia. Sent to reside in his father's domains, she was taken to Trebnitz in that year, and there was endowed with a rich Catholic upbringing by the Cistercian nuns. Shortly after the engagement, her young husband died, and in 1207 A.D. she was taken back to Bohemia, to the Premonstratensian Convent at Doxan to learn how to read and write. In 1208 A.D. she returned home to live with her parents at Prague. Such was the importance of her father's kingdom and her own grace and beauty, that shortly after 1220 A.D., she was sought by the Emperor as a bride for his elder son Henry. After the betrothald she went to reside at the court of Leopold VI, Duke of Austria, in preparation for the wedding. However it was not to be, since Henry later married the daughter of the Austrian Duke in 1225 A.D., much to the delight of Agnes, who now had her heart set on entering the convent. In 1233 A.D., after the death of his second wife, Jolante, the Emperor himself sought Agnes' hand in marriage. It was only with the assistence of Pope Gregory XI, whose intervention Agnes expressly sought, that she avoided marriage, and obtained permission to found and enter a Monastery of Poor Clares in the city of Prague shortly thereafter. St. Clare of Assisi, who through correspondence had assured herself of Agnes' holiness and firm resolve, sent five of her own nuns from Assisi to assist in the foundation. As a poor bride of Christ, Agnes of Bohemia lived a heroic life of humility, moritifcation, and charity for God and neighbor. She died in 1282 A.D., having lived 46 years in the convent. St. Agnes was canonized by Pope John Paul II on Noveber 12, 1989 A.D.. Her feast is March 2.

In the Breviarium Romanum (1961) the collect for Bl. Agnes' feast reads as follows:

Deus, qui beatam Agnetem Virginem per regalium deliciarum contemptum, et humilem tuae crucis sequelam ad caelum sublimasti; tribue nobis, quaesumus, ut eius precibus et imitatione; aeternae gloriae mereamur esse participes: Qui vivis et regnas.

O God, who has raised the virgin Blessed Agnes aloft through contempt for the delights of royalty and a humble following of Thy Cross to Heaven; grant us, we beseech Thee, that by her prayers and (our) imitation of her, we may merit to be partakers in eternal glory: Who lives and reigns.

For more about this Saint refer to this link