St. Walburga’s oil
Walburgisöl
- Known today as
- A clear liquid that gathers on the stone slab over the relics of St. Walburga (died 779), the English-born abbess of Heidenheim, in her church at Eichstätt in Bavaria.
- Kind
- Sacramental, in 1 older authority
- Earliest authority here
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914)
Revised October 1, 2026: An authority added from a text read in full. Version 1, first published September 28, 2026.
St. Walburga’s oil: what was it used for?
Collected by the Benedictine nuns and sent out in small vials to the sick.
St. Walburga’s oil: what does modern science say?
The nuns of St. Walburg still collect and distribute it.
St. Walburga’s oil: what lore surrounds it?
The “oil” has been gathered for centuries; Walburga’s feast of 1 May gave its name to Walpurgisnacht, the witches’ night before it.
St. Walburga’s oil: what did the older authorities say?
- The Catholic Encyclopedia
- The Catholic Encyclopedia reports that when Bishop Erchanbold opened the shrine in 893 “the body was first discovered to be immersed in a precious oil or dew, which from that day to this … has continued to flow from the sacred remains, especially the breast,” so that Walburga is “reckoned among the Elaephori, or oil-yielding saints.” The fluid “is caught in a silver cup, placed beneath the slab for that purpose, and is distributed among the faithful in small vials,” and “a chemical analysis has shown that the fluid contains nothing but the ingredients of water. Though the origin of the fluid is probably due to natural causes, the fact that it came in contact with the relics of the saint justifies the practice.” She is represented “in the Benedictine habit with a little phial or bottle.”
Sources
- [21] Herbermann, C. G., et al. (eds.) (1907–1912). The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Online at newadvent.org. Articles: Agnus Dei (H. Thurston); Amulet (M. Hassett); Ash Wednesday (H. Thurston); Bells (H. Thurston); Holy Oils (H. Leclercq); Paschal Candle (H. Thurston); Scapular (J. Hilgers). Read in part · the text read
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914), “Walburga, Saint.” newadvent.org/cathen/15526b.htm Standard reference work
- The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1907–1914), “Oil of Saints.” newadvent.org/cathen/11228d.htm Standard reference work
Verification
- Checked
- October 1, 2026
- Passes
- Every dated or regulatory claim checked by category across the database
- Each quotation from the older authorities checked word for word against the text, read in full
- Sources
- 3 cited: 1 read in part, 2 standard reference work.
- Corrections
- None were needed.
What was checked, how, and what was found is set out on the Verification page. A checked source is one whose record was found; it does not make the entry medical advice.
Cite This Entry
Version 1 · first published September 28, 2026 · last revised October 1, 2026
- Chicago
“St. Walburga’s oil.” In Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema. Version 1. The Thinking Press, 2026–. Last modified October 1, 2026. https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/st-walburga-oil.
- MLA
“St. Walburga’s oil.” Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema, version 1, The Thinking Press, 1 Oct. 2026, thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/st-walburga-oil. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.
- APA
St. Walburga’s oil. (2026, October 1). In B. C. P. Statema (Ed.), Materia medica (Version 1). The Thinking Press. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/st-walburga-oil
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See Also
Also in The Catholic Encyclopedia
The stole in The Catholic Encyclopedia · St. John’s fires in The Catholic Encyclopedia · Tetragrammaton in The Catholic Encyclopedia · St. Ignatius water in The Catholic Encyclopedia · everything The Catholic Encyclopedia names →
Nearby in the alphabet
St. Zacharias cross (each standing for a Latin invocation against the plague) · St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) · Stinkhorn · Storax calamite (packed in reeds (calami) for export) · St. Hubert’s key (blessed at the shrine of St)
Historical description, not medical advice.