She was the daughter of Ottocar, King of Bohemia and Constance of
Hungary, a relative of St. Elizabeth. At an early age she was sent to the
monastery of Treinitz, where at the hands of the Cistercian religious she
received the education that became her rank. She was betrothed to Frederick II,
Emperor of Germany; but when the time arrived for the solemnization of the
marriage, it was impossible to persuade her to abandon the resolution she had
made of consecrating herself to the service of God in the sanctuary of the
cloister. Frederick is reported to have been furious that the marriage was
called off, but he quickly accepted and supported Agnes's decision, realizing
that she had a higher calling.
She decided to devote her life to religious works, with the help of
Pope Gregory IX. She became a member of the Franciscan Poor Clares, a religious
order founded by Clare of Assisi (with whom she corresponded for over two
decades but never met in person). On land donated by her brother, Wenceslaus I,
she founded the Hospital of St. Francis (ca. 1232-33) and two convents where
the Franciscan friars and Clare nuns working at the hospital resided.
Taking the vow of poverty, she cooked for and took care of the lepers
and paupers personally even after becoming the Mother Superior of the Prague
Clares in 1234. She was also granted some divine visions, and is even said to
have foretold the military victory of her brother Wenceslas against Austria.
Agnes inspired both men and women, and it is said that many other privileged
women, wishing to emulate her, became Poor Clares, also devoting themselves to
serving God and the community.
She was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II on November 12, 1989. Her
feast is kept on the 2nd of March.
