Dominican Saints 101: St. Zdislava
January 4, 2013
St. Zdislava Berka (c. 1220-1252, feast – Jan. 4) was a wife, mother, and one of the earliest lay Dominicans. Being raised by a faithful mother, she too was devout from a young age and even tried to run away to become a hermit at the age of seven. As she grew, she matured through a life of prayer and generosity, and it is because of this that she is mainly remembered in the Czech Republic. At a young age, St. Zdislava was married to Havel, Count of Lemberk. He was a good man, but he tested Zdislava’s patience by asking her to dress in a worldly manner and join in his somewhat indulgent feasts. For her part, she too tested his patience, but this with regard to her generosity to the poor. She provided generously for the poor, even working as a nurse tending to them. It is said that one night when Havel went off to bed, he discovered it was missing. Zdislava had given the bed to a poor man, leaving only the crucifix in place of the bed. This changed his heart, and he began to support her charitable work.