St. Agnes of Bohemia

Most of what we know of this member of the Poor Clares comes to us through the correspondence that she had with St. Clare of Assisi.  She was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia.  Though she was sought by many suitors in her lifetime, she expressed a desire for a life as a contemplative religious.  The last proposal of marriage came from Emperor Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire.  With the aid of the Holy Father, Frederick sent her word that he would not be insulted if she chose the King of Heaven over him.  She built and later entered a monastery in Prague along with seven other noblewomen of the Bohemian court.  St. Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano in Assisi to help establish this contemplative community.  Though she tried to decline election as abbess of the monastery, the Holy Father insisted that she accept.  This, however, did not alter he life of penance nor did it keep her from continuing to serve as the cook for the sisters.  She also busied herself sewing clothes for lepers.  Though she was regarded as kind and approachable by the other sisters, she was also strict in her observance of poverty as prescribed in the Rule of St. Clare.  When her brother attempted to set up an endowment for her monastery, she refused to accept it.  The sisters would continue to live on the alms they begged and nothing more.  We are privileged to have four letters written to her by St. Clare of Assisi who wrote about the beauty of her vocation.  Agnes died in 1282 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1989.  Her feast day is March 2.