July 13 + Saint King Henry II

Henry was the son of Gisella of Burgundy and Henry II the Quarrelsome, Duke of Bavaria. He became Duke of Bavaria himself in 995 upon his father‘s death, which ended Henry’s thoughts of becoming a priest. Henry became King of Germany following the sudden death of his second cousin, Emperor Otto III in 1002, was crowned King of Italy in 1004, and was crowned by the Pope as Emperor in 1014.

Henry married Cunegunda of Luxembourg (also a Saint), who became his queen and empress. As the union produced no children, after Henry's death the German nobles elected Conrad II, a great-great-grandson of Emperor Otto I, to succeed him.

Henry founded schools, quelled rebellions, protected the frontiers, worked to establish a stable peace in Europe, and to reform the Church while respecting its independence. He fostered missions, and established Bamberg, Germany as a center for missions to Slavic countries. Both Henry and Cunegunda were prayerful people, and generous to the poor.

At one point he was cured of an unnamed illness by the touch of Saint Benedict of Nursia at Monte Cassino. He became somewhat lame in his later years. Following Cunegunda‘s death, he considered becoming a monk, but the abbot of Saint-Vanne at Verdun, France refused his application, and told him to keep his place in the world where he could do much good for people and the advancement of God‘s kingdom.