The association chose Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (also known as Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia) as the patron of the association. She is very closely attached to Turzovka. She was held in veneration as the patron of two oldest wooden churches during 17^th and beginning of 18^th century. Until the middle of 20^th century a traditional folk festival was celebrated (was restored in 2015) on feast day of Saint Elizabeth besides feast in August.
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary was born on July 07, 1207 in Bratislava or in Blatný Potok (present Sárospatak in Hungary) as a daughter of King Andrew II of Hungary and his wife Gertrude of Merania. As a little child, she was betrothed to Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia. In 1211, she moved to her fiancé’s residence, to Wartburg Castle in Thuringia. They married when Elizabeth was only 14 years old and she gave him three children: Herman, Sophia and Gertrude. Ideals of Saint Francis of Assisi left a deep imprint on Elizabeth’s life. In July 1227, her husband Louis died during Crusade in south Italy after 6 years of marriage. Elizabeth was expecting Gertrude at that time. After husband’s death, relatives of Louis intervened harshly against her. They took her children, refused to acknowledge her hereditary rights and banished her from Wartburg. She became a beggar. An abbess and a bishop, her confessor – preacherKonrad von Marburg took care of her. The bishop helped her to enforce a claim on part of assets and money from inheritance. After that, she donated this money on building of a new hospital in Marburg, where she cared for the sick. Saint Elizabeth died only four years after her husband’s departure, as 24 years old, on November 17, 1231. She is buried in Marburg. She was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1235.

She is worshiped as a patron of bakers, charitable societies, charity or service to other beggars, poor, but also innocent persecuted orphans.Saint Elizabeth is used to be portrayed in iconography with crown on a head and in clothes of princess, handing out alms and bread, washing legs the sick or carrying roses in a basket. Sometimes she is displayed with a beggar too. Her main heraldic symbol is basket with bread, flowers or crown.

Feast day: November 17

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