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Official feasts used to be an important part of the human community. People would gather together to remember something sacred, express their faith and hope for the future, and / or just be together formally, recognizing each other as being part of a shared community. Few things express a desire for shared companionship and social intimacy more than dining together. Sadly, the gathering together for feasting is increasingly a relic of the past – at least here in the West.

It need not be so! Today we will remember the ancient feasts.

The Feast Day of St. Leopold III, Margrave of Austria

This is a Christian religious celebration of Leopold, an 11th and 12th century Austrian Margrave. He is sometimes referred to as “Leopold the Good” and is remembered for his development of his country and for his work in the founding of many monasteries. Though not a lot is known about Leopold, one fact of his life that has survived to the present is that he had a very large family. After his first wife passed away, he remarried Agnes, the widow of the Emperor Henry. He adopted her two children and then the two had EIGHTEEN more children, though only eleven of them survived to adulthood. Leopold is remembered in history as a good and loving father to them all.

According to legend, he was once visited by the Virgin Mary. He is also said to have declined an offer to become Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Today he is the Patron Saint of Austria, Vienna, large familiesi, and the death of children.

Biography and Tradition – Feast Day Recipe – Prayer – Celebration Date

Who is St. Leopold III, Margrave of Austria?

Leopold III (German: Luitpold, Latin: Leupoldus, 1073 – 15 November 1136), known as Leopold the Good, was the Margrave of Austria from 1095 to his death in 1136. He was a member of the House of Babenberg. He was canonized on 6 January 1485 and became the patron saint of Austria, Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Vienna. His feast day is 15 November.

Biography

Leopold was born at Babenberg castle in Gars am Kamp, the son of Margrave Leopold II and Ida of Formbach-Ratelnberg. The Babenbergs had come to Austria from Bavaria where the family had risen to prominence in the 10th century. He grew up in the diocese of Passau under the influence of the reformer bishop Altmann of Passau.

In 1095, Leopold succeeded his father as margrave of Austria at the age of 22. He married twice. His first wife, who died in 1105, may have been one of the von Perg family. The following year he married Agnes, the widowed sister of Emperor Henry V whom he had supported against her father Henry IV. This connection to the Salians raised the importance of the House of Babenberg, to which important royal rights over the margraviate of Austria were granted. Also, Agnes had influential connections through her previous marriage to Frederick of Hohenstaufen, one of her sons being Conrad III of Germany.

Leopold called himself “Princeps Terræ”, a reflection of his sense of territorial independence. He was considered a candidate in the election of the Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire in 1125, but declined this honour.

He is mainly remembered for the development of the country and, in particular, the founding of several monasteries. His most important foundation is Klosterneuburg (1108). According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to him and led him to a place where he found the veil of his wife Agnes, who had lost it years earlier. He established the Klosterneuburg Monastery there. He subsequently expanded the settlement to become his residence.

Leopold also founded the monasteries of Heiligenkreuz, Kleinmariazell and Seitenstetten which developed a territory still largely covered by forest. All of these induced the church to canonize him in 1485.

Leopold also fostered the development of cities, such as Klosterneuburg, Vienna and Krems. The last one was granted the right to mint but never attained great importance.

The writings of Henry of Melk and Ava of Göttweig, which are the first literary texts from Austria, date back to Leopold’s time.

He is buried in the Klosterneuburg Monastery, which he founded. His skull is kept in an embroidered reliquary, which leaves the forehead exposed; it also wears an archducal hat.

In 1663, under the rule of his namesake Emperor Leopold I, he was declared patron saint of Austria instead of Coloman of Stockerau.

The brothers Joseph and Michael Haydn, each of whom sang in the choir of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, both sang in that capacity at Klosterneuburg on this day. Joseph Haydn later became the more famous composer of the two. Michael Haydn later (in 1805) wrote a mass in honour of Leopold, the Missa sub titulo Sancti Leopoldi.

Since the death of Emperor Leopold I, the King’s Feast is celebrated in Belgium on Leopold’s feast day.

Children

His first marriage, to Maria/Adelheid von Perg, was childless.

By his second wife, Agnes of Germany, widow of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia:

According to the Continuation of the Chronicles of Klosterneuburg, there may have been up to seven others (possibly from multiple births) stillborn or who died in infancy.

In 2013, documentation regarding the results of DNA testing of the remains of the family buried in Klosterneuburg & Heiligenkreuz strongly favor that Adalbert was the son of Leopold and Agnes.

One of the monasteries built by St. Leopold was Heiligenkreuz Abbey. The video below provides an excellent tour, in addition to providing a lot of its subsequent history:

If you are ever in Austria for Leopold’s Feast Day, you might have an opportunity to witness the parading of one of his relics – his skull.

What is something you should eat to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Leopold?

There are a lot of fantastic traditional Austrian dishes that would serve well as a feast day food for St. Leopold. The one I found is delicious, rich, and elegant – so it struck me as a great match for the Austrian nobility.

Sacher Torte

picture and recipe via kingarthurbaking.com

Ingredients

Sacher Cake

*Also known as superfine or castor sugar.

Chocolate Glaze

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray one 9″ by 2″ round cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment. Spritz the parchment lightly as well. If your pan isn’t at least 2″ deep, use two pans instead of one.
  2. To make the cake: Over low heat or in the microwave melt the chocolate slowly, stirring well.
  3. In a small bowl, lightly beat the 8 egg yolks. Add the melted chocolate, melted butter, and vanilla. Blend until smooth and satiny, with no lumps or unincorporated yolks.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the 8 egg whites with a pinch of salt until they begin to foam. Slowly add the sugar, then beat on high speed until the whites hold a stiff peak but are still glossy.
  5. Using a wide rubber spatula, mix about 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate/yolk mixture to lighten it. Now, pour the lightened chocolate mixture over the rest of the whites in the bowl. Fold gently, using about 20 to 30 strokes.
  6. Sprinkle the cake flour over the chocolate batter and continue to fold gently until there are no traces of egg white remaining.
  7. Pour the batter into the pan(s). Bake until the cake is puffed and dry looking on top, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean: 40 to 45 minutes for a single pan, 20 to 25 minutes for two pans. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan(s) for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Be sure to peel off the parchment circle while the cake is still warm.
  8. While the cake is cooling, strain the apricot jam through a fine sieve to remove any bits of fruit and make a smooth filling.
  9. To fill the cake: If you used one cake pan, you will need to split the layer before filling. Use a long, sharp serrated knife to split the cake into two even layers. If you used two pans, simply spread the apricot jam between the layers, leaving 1/2 inch around the border so that the jam does not squeeze out over the sides of the cake.
  10. To make the chocolate glaze: Place the filled cake on a wire rack over a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the chocolate, water and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently until the glaze is smooth, shiny and slightly thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
  11. As soon as the glaze is smooth, immediately pour over the cake. The excess glaze will drip off of the cake onto the parchment paper. You can scoop up the excess glaze to cover any bare spots on the cake. Use a flexible spatula to help spread the glaze on the top and sides of the cake, but do not overwork the glaze or it will not remain smooth and sleek.
  12. Allow the glaze to set up at room temperature for a few hours before serving. This cake is best served the day it’s made. Store any leftovers at room temperature for 1 day.

What is a prayer to say on the Feast Day of St. Leopold?

There is a novena (9 day prayer) associated with Leopold that I will share below:

(Excerpt for Day 1 below. See the entire Novena at praymorenovenas.com)

St. Leopold the Good Novena – Day 1

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Dear Lord, we thank You and praise You for giving us St. Leopold the Good as an example of holiness. We ask You to hear the prayers he brings before You on our behalf.

St. Leopold, little is known for certain about your first wife. But we know that she died and you remarried. Though you were a widower, you did not allow grief to deter you from serving God or carrying out His will.

Please bring all of our petitions before the throne of God, and we particularly ask today that you pray that God may bless and strengthen all who have been widowed.

Pray for us, that we may always do all we can to carry out God’s will in our lives. Pray that we may always strive to surrender all things to God.

And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).

Lord, hear our prayers!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

When is the Feast Day of St. Leopold III, Margrave of Austria celebrated?

This feast day is celebrated annually on 15 November.

I hope that everyone who celebrates has a wonderful day!

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