While never formally canonized, Pope Clement XII declared her universal feast day to be March 17 in 1677. (function(d, s, id) { She prayed very specifically for those who had recently died as she feared for their extended time in purgatory.
She rejected the marriage proposal from the son of a duke in front of a king. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more all for only $19.99 Virgin, and Abbess of the Benedictine monastery of Nivelles; born in 626; died 17 March, 659. Gertrude is the official patron saint of cats. After the death of her father in 639, her mother Itta, following the advice of St. Amandus, Bishop of Maestricht, erected a double monastery, one for men, the other for women, at Nivelles. if( ! window.fbl_started = true; 6. She is also patron of travellers, and is invoked against fever, rats, and mice, paticularly field-mice. Virgin, and Abbess of the Benedictine monastery of Nivelles; born in 626; died 17 March, 659. Recently, she has also been associated with rodents and cats. Get it Wed, Sep 14 - Mon, Sep 19. Ott, Michael. for the sake of his worldly ambition and mutual alliance. Her Vita, apparently recorded within a few years after her death in 659, states that at the age of ten she rejected the offer of a dynastically useful marriage, stating that she would have no spouse but Christ. Women's St. Gertrude of Nivelles Birthstone Rosary [RBENW8219] $13499 Personalizable 5.00 (1) It is very odd. She prayed very specifically for those who had recently died as she feared for their extended time in purgatory. Most of the information about her is mentioned in an old French book called Vita, written by an unknown author. APA citation. Burial. } ); St. Gertrude of Nivelles Medal [EN6348] $4699 Personalizable 4.88 (8) Women's St. Gertrude Oval Medal [HMM3104] $4099 Personalizable Died: 17 March 659 AD in Nivelles, Belgium. window.FB.init({ About this page. A beautiful icon of Gertrude of Nivelles. Among the numerous pilgrims that visited the monastery of Nivelles, there were the two brothers St. Follian and St. Ultan, both of whom were Irish monks and were on their way from Rome to Peronne, where their brother St. Furseus, lay buried. In fact, she insisted that she would never marry . http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06533c.htm. . She concentrated much of her time on the care of the sick, elderly, widows, and children. Ott, M. (1909). St. Gertrude of Nivelles. . 5866 General Diaz Street. Gertrude of Nivelles was born around 626 in present-day Belgium into a well-connected noble family. The period was such that Christianity was not as common as it is today. Nivelles, Arrondissement de Nivelles, Walloon Brabant, Belgium. var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; At a feast given by her father, and attended by the king, Gertrude (age 10) was asked if . One day, when she was about ten years of old, her father invited King Dagobert and some noblemen to a banquet. St. Gertrude is often portrayed as a patron saint of cats, which is a recent development because the church never associated her with cats. Gertrude was a mystic, gifted with visions. Gertrude is a patroness of travelers and gardeners. In memory of this occurence travellers during the Middle ages drank the so-called Sinte Geerts Minne or Gertrudenminte before setting out on their journey. Her birthplace is present-day Belgium. HISTORY OF SAINT GERTRUDE So, who was Saint Gertrude? When they were on the ocean, a large sea-monster threatened to capsize their ship, but disappeared upon the invocation of St. Gertrude. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads. . He told her that she would die on March 17th, the very next day but she could pass with joy because Saint Patrick and God's angels would be there to receive her. We can spend the day in prayers, abstinence, and fasting. Gertrude and her mother gave them a tract of land called Fosse on which they built a monastery. (also spelled Geretrude, Geretrudis, Gertrud; c. 628 [2] - 17 March 659) was a seventh-century abbess who, with her mother Itta, founded the Abbey of Nivelles located in present-day Belgium. Saint Gertrude was an abbess who, along with her mother Itta, founded the Abbey of Nivelles. St. Gertrude is generally represented as an abbess, with rats and mice at her feet or running up her cloak or pastoral staff. She was a daughter of Pepin I of Landen, and a younger sister of St. Begga, Abbess of Andenne. St. Cecilia was believed to be born in 2nd century Rome. The towns of Geertruidenberg, Breda, and Bergen-op-Zoom in North Brabant honour her as patron. Saint of the Day - 17 March - St Gertrude of Nivelles O.S.B.