This window depicts a popular story from the life of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, when she was caught by her husband feeding the poor and her bread miraculously turned into roses. She is portrayed here wearing her royal garb and crown of nobility. 

Elizabeth was born in 1207 in Bratislava to King Andrew II of Hungary, and was the niece of St. Hedwige (Hedwige shares a common feast day, October 17, with St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who is portrayed in window 3S). At the age of four she was betrothed to Ludwig (Louis), the young son of the Landgrave of Thuringia, and was wed to him in 1221. They had three children and lived in the Castle of Wartburg on a steep rocky cliff, which can be seen in the background in this window. Here Elizabeth regularly welcomed the poor and ill. Because many infirm persons were too weak or crippled to climb to her castle, she founded a hospital at the foot of the precipice. She personally cared for the sick, dressing the most repulsive sores with her own hands. 

In the story portrayed in this window, Elizabeth was carrying bread in the folds of her mantle to give to the poor of her village. She was met by her husband, who was returning from a hunt. He is seen here wearing a crown, hunting cap, and hunting horn. Ludwig protested that it was beneath his wife's dignity as a member of the nobility to be carrying food in her skirts, and he flung open her mantle. The bread which she had been carrying was miraculously replaced by beautiful red and white roses, although it was not the season for flowers. Both the "before" and "after" of this miracle can be seen in this window: the poor man at Elizabeth's feet takes a loaf from her, while the bread which has been transformed into roses lay in her mantle. This sign from God, legend says, caused Ludwig to commit himself to living a more Christian life. 

It is possible that this event never actually occurred, that it is an apocryphal tale. The faithful in past days often utilized legends as parables to show the great virtue and holiness of a saint. Cynics may see these stories as an attempt by religious authorities of the past to mislead a gullible and uneducated public. In actuality, many such legends were crafted and propagated by the common people themselves. Thus it may be more appropriate to see in these tales how greatly respected Christian faith and values were, and how they were incorporated into the culture of the times. Most art, philosophy, biographies, poetry, and even fictional plays and books were saturated with Catholic themes and ideals (ask yourself: what is today's culture saturated with?). In literature, real persons and relics often appeared side by side with fictional characters (e.g., the real St. Joseph of Arimathea and Holy Grail in the stories of the legendary King Arthur and his knights). Fictional stories were often written about actual saints to portray and emphasize their true holiness. Regardless of whether the miracle depicted here was real or fictional, this window serves to illustrate that the Holy Church does believe that the super-abundant God who worked miracles throughout the Old and New Testaments continues to answer the prayers of His people and grant great favors. 

Ludwig, whether inspired by this miracle or simply by Elizabeth's everyday holiness, did become a virtuous and charitable man. He died in 1227 while on his way to the Holy Land to fight in a Crusade. After her husband's death, Elizabeth was cruelly driven from her castle by her brother-in-law, Henry, who seized power. For a time, she was forced to wander through the streets in poverty with her little children. She welcomed all her sufferings, and became a member of the 3rd Order of St. Francis. Moving to Marburg, she sewed garments for the poor and nursed the sick. Many souls were inspired by her holy life and were converted to the Faith. 

The knights who had been journeying to the Holy Land with Ludwig eventually made their way back home, and they returned Elizabeth to her rightful role of regent of Thuringia. With her son's ascendancy to Landgrave secured, she retired to her 3rd Order Franciscan community. The loss of husband and household had been very hard on Elizabeth, and she died on November 19, 1231. Almost immediately she was hailed as a saint. A church bearing her name was built to house her relics in 1235, the same year she was canonized by Pope Gregory IX. Her feast is celebrated by the Catholic Church on November 19, and she is honored as the patron of bakers and Franciscan tertiaries. Her husband is known as "St. Ludwig", although he isn't actually listed in the Roman Canon of saints. His feast is celebrated in some nations, including Germany, on September 11. 

Father Alban Butler wrote of St. Elizabeth of Hungary: "This young and delicate princess made herself the servant of the poor. Let her example teach us to disregard the opinions of the world and to overcome our natural repugnances, in order to serve Christ in the persons of the poor." 

- Silvio Antoniano (1540-1603) 

- Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226)