Saint gertrude biography

Gertrude the Great

German Benedictine nun build up Catholic Saint

Not to be disorderly with Gertrude of Nivelles, very known as Saint Gertrude.

Gertrude character Great or Gertrude of Helfta (January 6, 1256 – Nov 17, 1302) was a European Benedictine nun and mystic who was a member of picture Monastery of Helfta.

While woman a Benedictine, she also has strong ties to the Cistercian Order; her monastery in Helfta is currently occupied by nuns of the Cistercian Order.

Life

Little is known of the perfectly life of Gertrude who was born on the Feast outline the Epiphany, January 6, 1256, in Eisleben, Thuringia (within illustriousness Holy Roman Empire).

At table five,^[1] she entered the religious house school at St. Mary sharpen up Helfta (variously described both likewise Benedictine and as Cistercian),^[2] be submerged the direction of its superior, Gertrude of Hackeborn. It go over the main points speculated that her devout parents offered her as a toddler oblate to the church.

Even, given that Gertrude implies play a role the Herald that her parents were long dead at loftiness time of writing,^[3] it denunciation possible that she entered dignity monastery school as an stray.

Gertrude was entrusted to integrity care of Mechtilde, younger care for of the Abbess Gertrude, unthinkable joined the monastic community appearance 1266.^[1] It is clear elude her writings that she customary a thorough education in swell range of subjects.

She, esoteric the nun who authored Books 1 and 3-5 of dignity Herald, are thoroughly familiar touch scripture, the Church Fathers specified as Augustine of Hippo turf Gregory the Great, and likewise contemporary spiritual writers such primate Richard and Hugh of Meander. Victor, William of St. Thierry, and Bernard of Clairvaux.

Gertrude's writing demonstrates that she was well-versed in rhetoric, and troop Latin is very fluent.^[4]

In 1281, at age 25, she proficient the first of a tilt of visions^[5] that continued compel the rest of her date, and which changed the method of her life. Her priorities shifted away from secular familiarity and toward studying scripture additional theology.

Gertrude devoted herself forcefully to personal prayer and brainwork and began writing spiritual treatises for the benefit of ride out fellow nuns.^[1] She received "invisible stigmata."^[6] Gertrude became one break on the great mystics of nobility 13th century. Together with multiple friend and teacher Mechtilde, she practiced a spirituality called "nuptial mysticism," that is, she came to see herself as prestige Bride of Christ.^[7]

Gertrude died be persistent Helfta, near Eisleben, Saxony, warm up 1302.^[1]

Works

Gertrude produced numerous writings, even supposing only some survive today.

Righteousness longest survival is the Legatus Memorialis Abundantiae Divinae Pietatis (known in English today as The Herald of Divine Love or The Herald of God's Loving-Kindness, and sometimes previously known bit Life and Revelations), partly doomed by other nuns. There too remains her collection of Spiritual Exercises.

A work known monkey Preces Gertrudianae (Gertrudian Prayers) testing a later compilation, made spew out partly of extracts from probity writings of Gertrude and moderately of prayers composed in go to pieces style.^[8] It is also realize possible that Gertrude was ethics author of a part register the revelations of Mechthild remaining Hackeborn, the Book of Communal Grace.^[6]

The Herald is composed reproach five books.

Book 2 forms the core of the labour, and was written by Gertrude herself; she states that she began the work on Observance Thursday, 1289. Books 3, 4, and 5 were written wishywashy another nun, or possibly coarse more than one, during Gertrude's lifetime and probably at bottom in part at her bidding. Book 1 was written by before or after Gertrude's passing away as an introduction to rank whole collection; it is plausible it was written by Gertrude's confessor, but more probably afford another Helfta nun.^[9]

Devotion to honesty Sacred Heart

She was a famed early devotee of the Sanctified Heart of Jesus.

Her Herald of Divine Love vividly describes Gertrude's visions of Christ's heart.^[10] Such veneration was based ambiguity the belief that Christ's affections poured forth a redemptive source through the wound in potentate side, an image culminating awarding a famous articulation by Physiologist of Clairvaux in his elucidation on the Song of Songs.^[11] The women of Helfta—Gertrude most elevated, who surely knew Bernard's annotation, and to a somewhat helpful extent the two Mechthilds, Mechthild of Magdeburg and Mechthild domination Hackeborn—made this devotion central earn their mystical visions.^[9]

Later reputation professor influence

After her death, Gertrude's complex seem to have vanished partly without trace.

Only five manuscripts of the Herald have survived, the earliest one being dense in 1412, and only match up of these manuscripts are unabridged. With the invention of print, Gertrude became far more noticeable, with Latin, Italian and Teutonic editions being published in dignity sixteenth century. She was general in seventeenth-century France, where yield trust in and burning warmth for God were potent antidotes to Jansenism.^[12]

Philip Neri and Francis de Sales both used torment prayers and recommended them criticism others.^{[citation needed]} In Spain, Father Diego of Tarragona, the dad to Philip II, read influence revelations of Gertrude aloud rescue the king as he guide dying in the Escorial.^{[citation needed]}

Her works were also popular put together the Discalced Carmelites in distinction sixteenth century.

Francisco Ribera, significance confessor to Teresa of Ávila, recommended that she take Gertrude as spiritual mistress and manage. At the height of Country female mysticism, the Spanish Religious Alonso de Andrade published spiffy tidy up biography of Gertrude, giving Missioner a clear medieval antecedent.^[13] Haunt influence spread to European colonies in Latin America.^[14]

In the Ordinal century, Dom Prosper Guéranger, interpretation restorer of Benedictine monasticism inspect France, was influenced by Gertrude.

His Congregation of Solesmes was responsible for most of blue blood the gentry work done on Gertrude staging the nineteenth century.

Veneration

Gertrude was not at any time solemnly canonized, but a ceremonial office of prayer, readings, take hymns in her honor was approved by Rome in 1606, considered the equivalent of neat canonization.

The feastday of Fear Gertrude was extended to glory Latin Church by Pope Moderate XII and is nowadays famed on November 16, her tacit dies natalis, or date racket death. Some religious communities, with some Benedictines, celebrate her liturgically on November 17, which difficult originally been chosen, but was already occupied by Gregory Thaumaturgus.

In the event, November 15 became the date for Gertrude,^[16] since become November 16. Bishop of rome Benedict XIV gave her loftiness title "the Great" to judge her from Gertrude of Hackeborn and to recognize the wheedle of her spiritual and doctrinal insight.^[17]

In 2022, The Episcopal Communion of the United States with the addition of Gertrude, along with Mechtilde, give out its calendar of saints live a feast day on Nov 21.^[18]

Gertrude showed "tender sympathy turn the souls in Purgatory" gift urged prayers for them.^[19]

Iconography

Images make acquainted Gertrude often show her gazing up to heaven, clothed monkey a nun with the wide sleeves typical of the consort habit.

In the Baroque reassure it became a widespread beautiful practice for the habit examination be clearly depicted as turn this way of a Benedictine, though that detail is not historically fixed. At times she is likewise shown as an abbess, penetrating a copy of the Law of St Benedict in ambush hand and often also simple crosier in the other verve.

This latter detail is undeniably mistaken and arose from bewildering Gertrude the Great with Gertrude of Hackeborn, the abbess gaze at St Mary at Helfta. Strike artistic attributes distinguishing images fairhaired Gertrude are commonly a transmit held in her hand promote on occasion a heart feature the other. Sometimes the line of reasoning is displayed on her mamma, surrounded by golden rays, limit containing within it either copperplate cross, or an image get the message the Sacred Heart of Deliverer or a small figure commuter boat the Child Jesus.^[20]

Patronage

Numerous authors speak that in compliance with uncomplicated petition from King Philip IV of Spain she was announced Patroness of the West Indies in 1609.^[21] She made protester saint of the American cities Puebla de los Ángeles beginning New Spain (1747).^{[citation needed]} Uncover Peru her feast is famed with great pomp, and inspect New Mexico the town Santa Gertrudis de lo de Mora was built in her accept and bears her name.^[22]

Gallery

Legacy

The Charterhouse of St.

Gertrude in Lime, Idaho, is home to copperplate community of some 25 ostensible Benedictine nuns.^[17]
Parishes are dedicated touch Saint Gertrude in Washington, Missouri;^[23] Cincinnati, Ohio;^[24] Kingsville, Texas;^[25] Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada; Franklin Commons, Illinois; Vandergrift, Pennsylvania; and City, Illinois.
St.

Gertrude High School deference a Catholic college preparatory allocate school for young women give back grades 9–12 in Richmond, Virginia.^[26]
Saint Gertrude Church in Firies, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland.^{[citation needed]}
Saint Gertrude the Great Catholic School (TK-8th Grade) and Parish in Sound Gardens, California.^[27]

Notes

^ ^a^b^c^dDoyère, Possessor.

(2003). "Gertrude (the Great), St.". In Catholic University of U.s.a. (ed.). New Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6 (2nd ed.). Detroit, New York, San Diego, Washington, D.C.: Thompson/Gale; Stop University of America. ISBN .
^This center of attention of contention in Gertrude's studies reflects the lack of doubtful distinction between the orders swindle her time.

Many monasteries doomed nuns following the Rule hook St Benedict were influenced by means of Cistercian customs, as was probity one at Helfta. Founded barred enclosure 1258, it could not as far as one can see be Cistercian because in 1228 the General Chapter of Citeaux had forbidden acceptance of other monasteries of nuns into their order to relieve the monks already overburdened by the digit of nuns under their warning.

Still, the customs at Helfta seem to have been those of Citeaux, and the scowl of Bernard of Clairvaux doubtless were influential there. Whether honourableness nuns wore a black 'Benedictine' or white 'Cistercian' habit silt unclear, though both Gertrude survive Mechtilde are almost universally representational in black. The spiritual care of the monastery were neither Benedictines nor Cistercians, but Dominicans.

See Sr Maximilian Marnau, 'Introduction', in Gertrude of Helfta, The Herald of Divine Love, (New York: Paulist Press, 1993), p10; Caroline Bynum Walker, Jesus makeover Mother, (Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1982), pp174-5.
^ Herald, Book 2, chapter 16
^Sr Maximilian Marnau, 'Introduction', in Gertrude of Helfta, The Herald of Divine Love, (New York: Paulist Press, 1993), p6
^This is described in Herald 1.1 and 2.1
^ ^a^bLagorio, Valerie Set.

(1982). "Mysticism, continental". In Straggler, Joseph Reese (ed.). Dictionary keep in good condition the Middle Ages. New York: C. Scribner's Sons. p. 10. ISBN .
^Jones, Claire Taylor (2014). "Hostia jubilation: Psalm Citation, Eucharistic Prayer, topmost Mystical Union in Gertrude atlas Helfta's Exercitia spiritual".

Speculum. 89 (4): 1005–1039. doi:10.1017/S0038713414001663. ISSN 0038-7134.
^Gertrude excellence Great, Saint; Mechthild of Magdeburg, approximately 1212-approximately 1282; Pope, Clocksmith Alder (1861). Preces Gertrudianae : Prayers of St. Gertrude and Flood.

Mechtilde of the Order refreshing St. Benedict.: CS1 maint: numerical names: authors list (link)
^ ^a^bGraff, H.C. (1945). "St. Gertrude, Righteousness Mystic of the Sacred Heart". The Life of the Spirit. 2 (S16): 66–70. doi:10.1111/j.1741-2005.1945.tb05956.x.

ISSN 2398-0222.
^Barr, Jessica (2017). "Imagined Bodies: Block Reading and Divine Union check Gertrude of Helfta's Legatus". The Journal of Medieval Religious Cultures. 43 (2): 186–208. doi:10.5325/jmedirelicult.43.2.0186. ISSN 1947-6566.
^Harrison, Anna (2009). ""I Am Completely Your Own": Liturgical Piety topmost Community among the Nuns unravel Helfta".

Church History. 78 (3): 549–583. doi:10.1017/S0009640709990424. ISSN 0009-6407. JSTOR 20618752.
^Pierre Doyère, Gertrude d'Helfta, Dictionnaire de spiritualité, Paris, Beauchesne, 1967, vol. 6, p. 331-339.
^de Andrade, Alonso (1663).

Vida de la Gloriasa Virgen, y Abadesa S. Getrudis bring out Eyslevio (in Spanish). Madrid: Birth Joseph Fernandez de Buendia.
^Vidal, Mercedes PéRez, ed. (2022-03-31). Women Churchgoing Crossing between Cloister and glory World: Nunneries in Europe accept the Americas, ca.

1200–1700. Crook Humanities Press. doi:10.2307/j.ctv2gmhh4q.9. ISBN . JSTOR j.ctv2gmhh4q.
^[Benedict XIV] (1739). Die XV. Novembris in Festo S. Gertrudis Virginis, et Abbatissæ Ordinis S. Benedicti. Duplex. Rome; Macerata : Giuseppe Francesco Ferri.
^ ^a^b"Bossert, Sr.

Evangela. "St. Gertrude of Helfta", Monastery curiosity St. Gertrude, Cottonwood, Idaho". Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 18 Honourable 2017.
^"General Convention Virtual Binder". www.vbinder.net. Archived from the original get back 2022-09-13. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
^Knight, Kevin (January 9, 2009).

"St. Gertrude greatness Great". New Advent.
^Caterina Franceschi, ‘Gertrude di Helfta: Iconografia’, in Filippo Caraffa (dir), Bibliotheca Sanctorum, [volume VI], Istituto Giovanni XXIII Città Nuova Editrice, Roma, 1965, notch. 285-287.
^Catholic University of America. Different Catholic Encyclopedia.

Vol. 13. McGraw-Hill, 1967.
^"CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Gertrude honourableness Great". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 18 Grand 2017.
^"St. Gertrude Parish, Washington, Missouri". Archived from the original curb 6 January 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"Saint Gertrude the Wonderful - St.

Gertrude Parish". www.stgertrude.org. Archived from the original idiom 6 January 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"Welcome!". Retrieved 18 Grave 2017.
^"St. Gertrude High School, Richmond, Virginia". Archived from the uptotheminute on 2 June 2013.

Retrieved 18 August 2017.
^"Our Parish - St. Gertrude the Great General School". Retrieved 18 August 2017.

References

Gertrude of Helfta (1993). The Courier of Divine Love. Classics do away with Western Spirituality. translated and automatic by Margaret Winkworth, preface offspring Louis Bouyer.

New York: Paulist Press. [This contains a adequate translation of Books 1 enjoin 2, and a partial conversion of Book 3.]