September 18
Ricarda (+900)
wife
The daughter of Erchanger, count of Alsace, she had married Charlemagne's great-grandson, Charles the Fat, who was then king of the Rhineland Franks and later became emperor of the West, king of Germany and France, and titular protector of the papacy.
Biography
The new emperor was educated and devout, but that did not prevent him from allowing the barbarians to sack France and from abandoning John VIII, who asked him for help from the Lateran palace, where he was finally murdered. He put an end to the Carolingian empire and died very soon afterwards. Some years earlier, Ricarda had been repudiated by her husband, who had her convicted of adultery. The queen defended her innocence, forgave her husband and retired to the Andlau abbey that she had founded shortly before, where she died a saintly death. In 1049, Pope Leo IX went to venerate her relics and elevated her to the altars.
Practical advice
With the desire to sanctify everyday life, be grateful for the good received through the sacraments without seeking applause or recognition.