I have written this book about the holy sisters who have departed from our cloister at Diessenhofen. And as small as what I have written is, it is on behalf of the great good that our sisters have done that I write, since it is better that something is left behind to us so that we do not entirely forget it. And as modest as it is, I have labored to complete it for the improvement of those who hear it.
Adelheit von Ossingen
There was a holy sister called Sister Adelheit von Ossingen, who was the procurer. She had the custom of not speaking a word on all the days on which they received our Lord, as many other sisters forced themselves to do. On one of the days that they received our Lord she needed to go to the kitchen to make food for the guests. And that was painful for her to do but nonetheless she wanted to be obedient. And as she went into the kitchen (it was winter and a great snow had fallen) and as she was on the way she heard the sound of the bell that rang as our Lord was raised. Then she knelt down in the snow and on that very place appeared beautiful grass, as though it were summer, when the grass is most beautiful.
Williburg von Trossingen
There was a sister called Sister Williburg von Trossingen. She came into the cloister when she was still young and was an exceptionally holy child. And one day when the convent was about to receive our Lord, she had a great desire that she also be permitted to receive our Lord. Because she was so young, no one thought it was appropriate. And when the children were fed breakfast that morning, she did not want to take even a bite. And when the priest blessed the wafers, he took as many as there were sisters in the convent, not including the child. And after he had given our Lord to the entire convent, there was one wafer left over. Then he said: “There is still someone here, I know not who, who has yet to receive our Lord.” So the sisters thought that our Lord had made a great sign, and they brought forth the child. Then the priest said: “Dear child, come here, our Lord has saved himself for you,” and he gave her our Lord.
Gertrut die Rittrin
There was a sister called Sister Gertrut die Rittrin who deviated from the faith. One time when she was at her prayers after the mass, she saw a transparent gentleman enter, and he carried a golden chalice in his hand. And two youths who had burning candles in their hands were beside him and walked toward the sister. The gentleman poured blood from his heart into the chalice and bade her to drink and said: “You will no longer be unfaithful to me.” And in the same hour her loss of faith left her entirely.
Margret von Fürstenberg
There was a sister called Sister Margret von Fürstenberg. She was greatly worried that the convent would come to an end because at this time there was great strife in the countryside, and she feared that we might be with one another nevermore. And when she was at her prayers one time she heard a voice that said: “For as long as you live, the convent will never come to an end.” This holy sister had a special grace for our Lord’s resurrection. And one time on the holy eve of Easter, in the night, she heard a voice that said: “Stand up! It is now the hour in which our Lord rose from the dead.” And after the time that she heard this voice, she awoke every night at the same time.
Diemut von Landau
There was a sister named Sister Diemut von Landau. She was the master of novices when I entered into the cloister, and was very dutiful in showing to us all godly things. And she presented to us the image of an ascetic life and the constant work of virtue and passionate devotion, which she cultivated at all times toward God, and by which she nurtured us with words and with works. For thirty years she never sat in the choir, unless she had to sit as part of her orders, and she was constantly at prayer in the choir, unless her obedience required her to be elsewhere. When she was in the choir, she either knelt or stood or lay in venia, face down on the floor with arms extended, in the presence of our Lord. And in these thirty years during mass she had her hand constantly raised to God underneath her robe and stood at all times with great devotion. The mass soaked through her in heartfelt tears from the overflow of grace that was in her heart. This holy sister desired to know what work she should perform in the Advent. And as night fell one time there appeared to her an unknown person coming toward her and he put a rope in her hand that was woven of red and green silken strands. Then she spoke: “What could this be?” Then she was answered: “The red silk reveals the high godliness and the green reveals the humanity of our Lord. That the red and green silks are intertwined means that the two natures, the godly and the human, were united in our Lady. You should use this time for this task and you should intertwine and untwine the rope.”
On the holy day of Christmas she was in great grace. And during the first mass that was sung by the holy brother Conrad of Landau, as he lifted up our Lord she saw that his hands were golden, and she saw that the wafer had transformed into the most beautiful child that had ever been seen.
Gertrut von Herblingen
There was a saintly sister called Sister Gertrut von Herblingen. One day when she was at her prayers before a crucifix after compline, she said her “Confiteor” to our Lord. Then our Lord lifted his right arm down from the cross and laid his hand upon her head and forgave all her sins.
One day as she sat upon her bed and read a vigil, a saintly sister named Jte von Atlikon went before the bed. She heard somebody unknown speak: “Gather yourself, collect yourself, for you will never be holy.” And after a while she nonetheless went before the bed. But then she heard the voice: “Gather yourself, collect yourself, for you will never be a collector of even one soul.” So she went to the sister and asked her what she had prayed. Then she said: “I read one vigil and then I read the whole collection that one should read for the souls.” Then the sister said: “So that is what the devil meant,” and she told her what she had heard. And because of that, when she read a vigil, she gathered together all of the vigils that were known to her and she read them to the souls, which was painful for the devil. She was also at her prayers one time when she heard a voice that said: “Tell the person that she should read about my special love, so shall I relieve her of her sick days. And if she does not do this then I will greatly punish her.” She heard this voice three times. So she went to the person and told her what she had heard. And she did not want to read about it. And so our Lord guided his hand heavily upon her with great punishment, so much that she had to waste away because she did not want to read it. On the Sunday in Advent when “Gaudete Domino” is sung she was in the choir at her prayers and heard a voice that said: “Gaudete in Domino.” Then she said: “Lord, for whom should I rejoice?” The voice then said in response: “You should rejoice that I am your only love and that I would like to give you everything that your heart could desire.” Another time she was also at her prayers when a voice said: “Which would you prefer; that I give you bodily or spiritual goodness?” So she said: “Lord, I would much rather have spiritual goodness.” Then our Lord treated her as He did His close friends, and He took away all of the comfort that she should have had from all her friends, and she was a poor, miserable person until her death.
Berta von Herten
There was a sister called saintly Berta von Herten. One time she sang in the choir with such great devotion that a sister saw that a golden tube rose from her mouth up into heaven. Another time when this sister sang, a sister saw a red rose float before her mouth. The holy Sister Berta desired to be at her sister Gůt’s place in the forest. And one time when she was at her prayers after mass in the refectory, there she saw our Lord sitting across from her, and His face glowed as brightly as the sun, and our Lord beckoned to her with His hand. So she went to our Lord and fell before His foot. Then our Lord took her head and laid it in His lap and treated her very gently and dearly. Then she saw that the wall of the refectory was as though it were glass, and on the other side of the glass was a small person who acted as though her heart was truly going to break because she wanted to come through the glass to our Lord. But she could not come through the glass. So spoke our Lord: “Would you like to know, dear daughter of mine, who that person is?” So she said: “Yes Lord, with all my heart.” So He said to her: “That is Gůt in the forest. And the glass that you see that is between me and her is her own will not to live in obedience. And because of this she can never come as close to me as you, living in obedience, can.”