Saint Emeric of Hungary

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Emeric of Hungary
birth_date=about 1000 to 1007
death_date=death date|1031|9|2|mf=y
feast_day=November 5, in Hungary: September 4 (burial of his relics)
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


imagesize=150px
caption=Saint Emeric of Hungary
birth_place=Veszprém
death_place=Hegyközszentimre (assumed place)
titles=Prince
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=1083
canonized_place=
canonized_by=
attributes=Lily stem, sword
patronage=
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=
prayer=
prayer_attrib=:"Note: There was also a king of Hungary named Imre (Emeric), who ruled from 1196 to 1204."

Prince St. Imre, also "Henricus", "Emeric", "Emerick," "Emmerich", "Emericus" or "Americus" (Székesfehérvár (Hungary), about 1000 to 1007 – Hegyközszentimre (at that time located in the Comitatus "Bihar" of the Kingdom of Hungary, Sântimbru Alba, Romania), September 2 1031) was the son of King St. Stephen I of Hungary and Giselle of Bavaria. He is assumedSauser E, Biographisch-bibliograophisches Kirchenlexikon (German, title transl. "Biographic-bibliographic encyclopaedia of the Roman Catholic church") Vol XXI, pub. Bautz, 2003, ISBN 3-883-09038-7] to be the second son of Stephen, he was named after his uncle, St. Henry II, and was the only of Stephen's sons who reached adulthood.

Emeric was educated in a strict and ascetic spirit by the bishop of Csanád, St. Gerhard (St. Gellért) from the age of 15 to 23. He was intended to be the next monarch of Hungary, and his father wrote admonitions to prepare him for this task. His father tried to make Emeric co-heir still in his lifetime.

But his father's plans could never be fulfilled: on 2nd September 1031 Emeric was killed about 24 years old by a boar while hunting. It is assumed that this happened in Hegyközszentimre (presently Sintimreu). He was buried in the Cistercian church in Székesfehérvár. Several wondrous healings and conversions happened at his grave, so on 5th November 1083 King Ladislaus I unearthed Emeric's bones in a big ceremony, and Emeric was canonised for his pious life and purity along with his father and Bishop Gerhard by Pope Gregory VII.

Amerigo Vespucci was presumably named after Saint Emeric, and therefore so were the Americas, indirectly. St. Emeric is most often pictured in knight's armour with crown and lily.

References