Blessed Irene of Hungary
Also known as
- Irene Komnenos
- Piroska…
- Xene…
Profile
Born a princesses, the daughter of King Ladislaus I of Hungary and Princess Adelaide of Swabia; her mother died when Piroska was about two years old, her father when she was about seven. Given in an arranged marriage in 1105 to John II Komnenos. Irene reigned as empress from 1118 till her death in 1134. Mother of eight, including two future emperors. Sources of the time describe Irene as rich in virtues and praised her for her charity to the poor. She was the driving force and great donor behind the construction of the famous monastery of Christ Pantocrator in Byzantium which included multiple churches and a hospital open to all.
Born
- 13 August 1134 in Byzantium (Constantinople) of natural causes
- following an ancient Eastern custom, on her death-bed Irene she took the religious habit and the name Xene
- buried in the monastery of Christ Pantocrator in Constantinople
MLA Citation
- “Blessed Irene of Hungary“. CatholicSaints.Info. 4 January 2020. Web. 13 May 2021. <>