St. Elizabeth of Hungary (feast day: November 17) is the patroness of St. Elizabeth Catholic Church - Oakland, California.

 St. Elizabeth is the patron saint of bakers, countesses, death of children, falsely accused, the homeless, nursing services, tertiaries, widows, and young brides. Her symbols are alms, flowers, bread, the poor, and a pitcher.

St. Elizabeth was born in Hungary in 1207. She was the daughter of Alexander II, King of Hungary. At four she was sent for education to the court of the Landgrave of Thuringia, to whose infant son she was betrothed.

In 1221, she married Louis, the ruler of Thuringia (we celebrate the feast of Blessed Louis on September 11). Elizabeth was a beautiful bride who dearly loved her handsome husband. Louis returned her affection with all his heart.

 In spite of her position at court, Elizabeth began to lead an austerely simple life, practiced penance, and devoted herself to works of charity. Her husband was also very religious and proud of her virtue, encouraging her in her exemplary life.

God sent them three children and they were very happy for six years.

Then St. Elizabeth's sorrows began. Louis died of the plague.
She was so heart-broken that she cried: "The world is dead to me and all that is joyous in the world."

Louis' relatives had never liked Elizabeth because she had given so much food to the poor. While Louis was alive, they had not been able to do anything. Now, however, they could and they did. Within a short time, this beautiful, gentle princess and her three children were sent away from the castle.

They suffered hunger and cold. Yet Elizabeth did not complain about her terrible sufferings. Instead she blessed God and prayed with great fervor. She accepted the sorrows just as she had accepted the joys.  Her own relatives came to her rescue and, though her uncle wanted her to marry again for she was still very young and attractive, the saint was determined to give herself to God.

She wanted to imitate the poverty of St. Francis. In 1228, Elizabeth made arrangements for the care of her children, and renounced the world, becoming a tertiary of St. Francis. She went to live in a poor cottage and spent the last few years  of her life serving the sick and the poor. She built the Franciscan hospital at Marburg and devoted herself to the care of the sick. She even went fishing to try to earn more money for her beloved poor.  St. Elizabeth was only twenty-four when she died.