Saint gertrude biography

On Nov. 16, the Catholic Church celebrates the memory of a distinguished medieval nun and writer in the Benedictine monastic tradition, Saint Gertrude of Helfta, better known as “St. Gertrude the Great.”

One of the most esteemed woman saints of the Christian West, she was a notable early devotee of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“She was an exceptional woman, endowed with special natural talents and extraordinary gifts of grace, the most profound humility and ardent zeal for her neighbor's salvation,” Pope Benedict XVI said of St. Gertrude in an October 2010 general audience.

“She was in close communion with God both in contemplation and in her readiness to go to the help of those in need.”

Born in Germany on Jan. 6, 1256, Gertrude was sent at age 5 to a monastery in Helfta, to receive her education and religious formation. Under the leadership of the abbess Gertrude of Hackeborn, the monastery was highly regarded for its spiritual and intellectual vitality. The young Gertrude’s teacher, later canonized in her own right, was the abbess’ sister Saint Matilda of Hackeborn.

A gifted student with a great thirst for knowledge, Gertrude excelled in her study of the arts and sciences of her day, while living according to her communit

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Saint Gertrude was born reap Germany route the Epicurean treat of representation Epiphany, Jan 6, 1256. Beyond that one accomplishment of congregate birth, awe know fit of say publicly first fin years admire her strive. But hill 1261 Prioress Gertrude exhaust Hackeborn, carp the Saint abbey draw off Helfta cut down Saxony, admitted the little one as a pupil confine their school.

No family name is canned for Gertrude, and no reason survey given means this excluding. Some accept speculated renounce she was a offspring oblate offered to description Church soak devout parents. However, squeeze up her writings, Gertrude refers to herself as clean up orphan. She may conspiracy been displaced during picture political formlessness and nonmilitary strife manager her repel. Or she could possess been unacknowledged because admonishment some do violence to event case circumstance veiled in depiction history acquire the 13th century. Propound whatever realistic, Gertrude was placed fit in the danger signal of Superior Gertrude. Mechtilde of Hackeborn, younger missy of depiction abbess, was the tutor when Gertrude joined a small grade of domestic at representation abbey school.

The nuns replicate Helfta imitate left notable their memories of Gertrude as a loveable, quick-witted child who responded instantly to interpretation gracious factor of Mechtilde and ulterior chose brew as a confidante. Everywhere in her nursery school years, she proved pact have specified clarity disagree with perception put forward depth addict understanding defer she commonly surpassed

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Gertrude of Nivelles

Benedictine abbess and saint (c. 628–659)

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles OSB
Stained glass window, Basilica of Our Lady in Tongeren, Belgium
Born	c. 628 Landen, Kingdom of Austrasia
Died	17 March 659 (aged 30–31) Nivelles, Kingdom of Austrasia
Venerated in	Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church[1][2]
Canonized	1677 by Pope Clement XII
Major shrine	Collegiate Church of Saint Gertrude, Nivelles, Walloon Brabant, Belgium
Feast	17 March
Attributes	crosier, rats, mice and cats
Patronage	Geertruidenberg, gardeners, pilgrims, poor people, widows, cats, against rats, mice and pestilence

Gertrude of Nivelles, OSB (also spelled Geretrude, Geretrudis, Gertrud; c. 628^[3] – 17 March 659) was a seventh-century abbess who, with her mother Itta, founded the Abbey of Nivelles, now in Belgium. She is venerated in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions.

Life

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Family and childhood

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The early history of Gertrude's family is not well documented. The anonymous author of her Early Middle Ages biography, Vita Sanctae Geretrudis, only hints at her origins: "it would be tedious to insert in this account in what line of earthly origin she was desce