Saint Mechtilde of Hackeborn

Mechtilde (c. 1241–1298) came from a noble Saxon family and entered the monastery of Helfta as a child, where her sister Gertrude of Hackeborn was abbess. She directed the choir with such a beautiful voice that she was called "the nightingale of Christ," and she taught and guided the young Saint Gertrude the Great. Her visions of Christ's Heart and of the liturgy were written down by her sisters in The Book of Special Grace. She died at Helfta on November 19, 1298.

According to her revelations, the Virgin Mary asked her to pray three Hail Marys every day in honor of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This simple devotion is still widely prayed, especially at night.