Hail, Wilgefortis, holy
servant of Christ!
You loved Christ with
all of your heart
and, when you rejected a
marriage to the king of Sicily,
you proved your faith
on the Cross.
By your own earthly
father’s decree
You endured the
tortures of imprisonment,
You grew a beard on
your face,
Which you obtained
from Christ as a gift
Because you wanted to
stop others from wanting to marry you.
Seeing this, your
heathen father raised you up
High up on a cross,
still wearing your beard
And ready [to die].
Since you had both
grace as well as virtue,
As soon as you could,
Your soul fled to
Christ’s protection.
O lady,
Because we cherish
your memory with solemn praises,
O blessed Wilgefortis,
We beg you to pray on
our behalf!
--Acta Sanctorum Mensis Julius, Volume 7, Issue 5 (1748) p. 64 ; (Originally published in Enchiridion praeclarae ecclesiae Sarisburensis, 1533)
Ave sancta
famula,Wilgefortis,Christi,
quae ex tota anima
Christum dilexisti;
dum regis Siciliae
nuptias sprevisti;
Crucifixo Domino
fidem praebuisti.
Jussu patris carceris
tormenta subisti,
crevit barba facie,
quod obtinuisti
a Christo pro munere,
quod sibi voluisti
te volente nubere
sibi confudisti.
videns pater impius
te sic deformatam
elevavit arius in
cruce paratam.
Ubi cum virtutibus
reddidisti gratam
animamque
quantocius,Christo commendatam.
Quia devotis laudibus
tuam memoriam, virgo, recolimus,
o beata Wilgefortis,
ora pro nobis quaesumus.