Thecla of Kitzingen was an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon Benedictine nun, missionary, and abbess. Born in southern Britain, she was a relative of Saint Lioba and both women were educated at Wimborne Abbey. She became a key figure in the missionary efforts of Saint Boniface, traveling to Germany to assist in establishing and reforming monasteries. Throughout her religious career, she served in leadership roles, eventually supervising the abbey at Kitzingen following the death of its first abbess.
Religious life
After training at Wimborne, Thecla joined the missionary work of Saint Boniface in Germany. She and Lioba were sent to help implement the Benedictine Rule in new and existing foundations. Following the establishment of a convent in Bischofsheim, Thecla served as the abbess of Ochsenfurt. She later moved to Kitzingen to oversee the abbey there after its founder, Hadelonga, passed away.
Veneration
Thecla is recognized as a saint in both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. Her feast day is observed on 15 October, though some liturgical books list her commemoration on 27 or 28 September. While her relics were housed at Kitzingen during the Middle Ages, they were eventually scattered during the German Peasants' War.