“Let my sickle be judge between me and you,” Notburga supposedly said. This defiant phrase echoes through the ages as we stand before Sveta Notburga. Who was this woman? Why is she remembered here in Trieste?
Sveta Notburga was no queen or noblewoman. She was a simple peasant from Austria. Born around 1265 in Rattenberg she lived a life of service and devotion.
At 18, Notburga began working as a kitchen maid for Count Henry. She saw the wastefulness of the Count’s household. Food meant for pigs could feed the poor. So Notburga began saving leftovers. She secretly gave them to those in need. The Count’s wife Ottilia discovered Notburga’s charity. Ottilia dismissed her.
Notburga found work with a farmer near Eben. She agreed to work hard. However she insisted on time for church on Sundays and holy days. One evening the farmer demanded she keep working. Notburga threw her sickle into the air. It miraculously remained suspended.
Count Henry soon suffered misfortune. He believed it was because he dismissed Notburga. After Ottilia died, Henry rehired Notburga. His estate prospered once more.
Before her death in 1313, Notburga gave final instructions. She asked that her body be placed on a wagon. Two oxen should pull it. Wherever the oxen stopped, she should be buried. The oxen stopped at the chapel of St. Rupert near Eben.
Sveta Notburga’s life inspires us. She shows that even the humblest person can make a difference. Her feast day is celebrated on September 13 or 14. She is often depicted with an ear of corn or a sickle. Sometimes the sickle is suspended in the air. Sveta Notburga is a patron saint of servants and peasants. Remember her story of charity, hard work and faith. Sveta Notburga’s example continues to shine.