Description

Oil Dedicated to St Mafalda (Incorrupt)

The St Mafalda is dedicated to the Portuguese infanta (princess). During her life she became Queen consort of Castile for a brief period. Married briefly to the ten-year-old Henry I of Castile, she held for a time the title Queen of Castile. Upon the dissolution of the marriage, she retired to religious life.

Marriage

1215, a political marriage was arranged between Mafalda and her young cousin Henry I of Castile. As he was about ten years old, the marriage was never consummated, and it was dissolved the following year on grounds of consanguinity. She returned to Portugal.

Religious life

Mafalda then entered the Abbey of Arouca, which had adopted the Cistercian observance. As a former Queen, she was granted a special dispensation to retain control of her inheritance. While there she had a great devotion to Our Lady of Silva and made substantial donations to the shrine in Oporto. Using her wealth she also had a hospice for travellers built as well as a number of bridges, churches, monasteries, and hospitals.

Returning from a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Silva, she fell ill at Rio Tinto (Gondomar). She died there in the monastery on May 1, 1256. In 1616, wanting to move her body to Arouca it was found not to have deteriorated, which generated a strong devotion to the Portuguese princess. She was beatified in 1792. Her feast is celebrated on May 2.