Thecla of Kitzingen
Encyclopedia
Saint Thecla of Kitzingen (Tecla of England, Heilga) (died ca. 790 AD) was a Benedictine
nun and abbess. Born in England
, Thecla was a relative of Saint Lioba. A nun of Wimborne in Dorset
, Thecla was sent by her abbess, Tetta, to Germany
. Her mission was to assist St. Boniface in his missionary work there.
Thecla became a nun under Lioba at Tauberbischofsheim
. Later, Thecla became abbess of Ochsenfurt
. She subsequently became abbess of Kitzingen
.
, Thecla’s relics were enshrined at Kitzingen, but were later dispersed during the German Peasants' War
.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nun and abbess. Born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Thecla was a relative of Saint Lioba. A nun of Wimborne in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, Thecla was sent by her abbess, Tetta, to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Her mission was to assist St. Boniface in his missionary work there.
Thecla became a nun under Lioba at Tauberbischofsheim
Tauberbischofsheim
Tauberbischofsheim is a German town in the north-east of Baden-Württemberg on the river Tauber with a population of about 13,000. It is the capital of the Main-Tauber district....
. Later, Thecla became abbess of Ochsenfurt
Ochsenfurt
Ochsenfurt is a town in the district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the River Main, here crossed by a stone bridge, 13 miles south from Würzburg by the railway to Munich, and at the junction of a line to Röttingen. Pop. 11,600...
. She subsequently became abbess of Kitzingen
Kitzingen
Kitzingen is a town in the German state of Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. It is part of Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants.Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer in Bavaria...
.
Veneration
Her feast day is October 15, but alternate feast days of September 27 or 28 also appear in liturgical books. During the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Thecla’s relics were enshrined at Kitzingen, but were later dispersed during the German Peasants' War
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
.