Clara Elisabeth from Manderscheid-Blankenheim

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Clara Elisabeth von Manderscheid-Blankenheim (* 1631 ; † April 7, 1688 ) was a canon in the Thorn and Essen monasteries and dean in the Elten monastery . Today she is better known in Thorn as “het kranke freule” than her sister Anna Salome , although she was the abbess of Thorn Abbey for 40 years. Clara Elisabeth founded a Loreto chapel in Thorn in 1673 , and a splendid epitaph commemorates her in the Thorn abbey church .

Life

Clara Elisabeth von Manderscheid-Blankenheim was a very sickly woman. Her story of suffering was already published in 1693 in a booklet “Seraphic Starry Sky, that is: a short life story of the saints, the blessed and other members of the third order of St. Francis of Assisi, which published differently in the call of holiness ”. She suffered from paralysis, cramps, fever, and passed out, lost her ability to speak at times and could not tolerate food or the usual drinks for long periods of time, with the exception of milk. Despite this illness, the pious lady took care of the needy from her pharmacy and treated minor injuries with her own hands, so that up to 50 people seeking help were temporarily waiting in front of her house, which is still in Thorn today.

According to the legend, Elisabeth Clara's illness experienced a temporary improvement on July 13, 1681, when she was healed by the blessing of the preacher Marcus von Aviano , beatified in 2003 , from Liège, so that she got up, took a few steps and got up Carried on a chair, she could even attend mass in the collegiate church. The miraculous healing gave her so much strength that she was able to take part in the procession to the Loreto Chapel, which she had donated and which was consecrated on the day of her miraculous healing, and on July 24th when Marcus von Aviano was in nearby Roermond to meet him there personally.

  • Loreto Chapel, Thorn

  • Loreto Chapel ceiling

  • Epitaph, Thorn Abbey

literature

  • Ute Küppers-Braun: A miracle in Thorn? Clara Elisabeth von Manderscheid-Blankenheim and Markus von Aviano. MaH 2007, pp. 63-86.
personal data
SURNAME Manderscheid-Blankenheim, Clara Elisabeth von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canon in the Thorn and Essen monasteries and dean in the Elten monastery
DATE OF BIRTH 1631
DATE OF DEATH April 7, 1688