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stained glass window of Saint Henry II; 1802, artist unknown; parish church, Providence of God, Jaworze, Poland; photographed on 2 July 2013 by Hons084; swiped from Wikimedia Commons Also known as

Good King Henry
Heinrich, Duke of Bavaria

Memorial

13 July

Profile

Son of Gisella of Burgundy and Henry II the Quarrelsome, Duke of Bavaria. Educated at the cathedral school in Hildesheim by bishop Wolfgang of Regensburg. Became Duke of Bavaria himself in 995 upon his father‘s death, which ended Henry’s thoughts of becoming a priest. Ascended to the throne of Germany in 1002. Crowned King of Pavia, Italy on 15 May 1004. Married Saint Cunegunda, but was never a father. Some sources claim the two lived celibately, but there is no evidence either way.

Henry’s brother rebelled against his power, and Henry was forced to defeat him on the battlefield, but later forgave him, and the two reconciled. Henry was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1014 by Pope Benedict VIII; he was the last of the Saxon dynasty of emperors. Founded schools, quelled rebellions, protected the frontiers, worked to establish a stable peace in Europe, and to reform the Church while respecting its independence. Fostered missions, and established Bamberg, Germany as a center for missions to Slavic countries. Started the construction of the cathedral at Basel, Switzerland; it took nearly 400 years to complete. Both Henry and Saint 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. Widower. 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.