An English nun, she went to Germany at the request of Boniface to help with the mission there. She led the abbey at Heidenheim, and Eichstätt, where her relics rest, became a major place of pilgrimage.
Life
Saint Walburga was born in England in the early eighth century. From a noble family of Wessex, she grew up in the faith with her brothers, Saints Willibald and Winnibald, and was educated at the abbey of Wimborne, where she became a nun.
When her kinsman Saint Boniface, a missionary among the Germanic peoples, asked for help, she crossed the sea with fellow nuns. She worked alongside her brothers and led the abbey of Heidenheim, devoting herself to prayer, teaching and the care of the sick. She died around 779, and her relics were moved to Eichstätt, where she is venerated.
Spirituality
Walburga's spirituality is a missionary path walked together with family. Leaving her familiar homeland, she labored for the Gospel in a strange land and passed on faith and learning to its people through a praying community. She shows that a quiet religious life can itself be mission.
Reflection
Walburga left her homeland with her brothers to spread the faith. Does your family encourage one another's faith? Why not pray a short prayer together as a family today?