Hildegard lead a very active life of preaching and writing as well as being a nurse-physician in the infirmary at Mount St. Dusubide. Often prolific in her writing, she would often write about the duty of seeing to it that every person has the opportunity to use the talents that God has given them and to realize their God-given potential. She would also write about social justice and freeing the downtrodden as well as writing several medical texts. She also wrote more than 72 songs, including a morality play set to music. Being one of the largest repertoires of the medieval composers, 80 of Hidegard's works have survived. Among her best known works is the Ordo Virtutum ("Order of the Virtues" or "Play of the Virtues"), a type of early oratorio for women's voices, with one male part, that of the Devil.
Unlike so many women of her time, Hildegard von Bingen was often asked by abbots and abbesses for prayers and opinions on various matters as well as traveling widely during her four preaching tours, the only woman to have done so during the Middle Ages. She also communicated with various Popes which included Anastasius IV and Eugene III as well as various emperors and statesmen. Hildegard traveled and preached throughout southern Germany, Switzerland and even Paris. Deeply moved by her sermons, people asked her to provide written copies of them for their own readings. Her use of metaphor, as well as non verbal means in communication and visual imagery helped reach out to those that were hard of hearing or totally deaf.
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