Welcome back! This week, we'll conclude the Round of 32 and get our first peek at the Saintly Sixteen. But first, it's The Great Gertrude Game as Gertrude the Great faces Gertrude of Nivelles. And, yes, cats are involved.
On Friday, Cornelius the Centurion snuck past Piran of Cornwall 53% to 47% to advance to the Saintly Sixteen, where he'll tangle with Adomnan of Iona.
Vote now!
Gertrude the Great
Gertrude the Great (1256 – c. 1302) was a German Benedictine nun, mystic, theologian, and writer. Gertrude was born on January 6, 1256, in Eisleben, Thuringia. As is often the case with people who lived long ago, there are differing accounts of her early life. One source claims that at age four or five, Gertrude was taken to St. Mary’s Monastery to the monastery’s school in Helfta with the intention of her becoming an oblate when she was old enough. Another source claims that she was taken to St. Mary’s due to her parents’ death. The abbess put Gertrude in the care of Mechthilde, a nun and the abbess’s younger sister. St. Mary’s was known for cultivating the spiritual gifts of the nuns who lived there, and we have written works from this time that prove the success of the nuns’ intellectual and spiritual environment.
Gertrude thrived in the Monastery under the care of Mechthilde and eventually entered the monastery formally and studied various subjects. The two were close throughout their lives as nuns. In 1281, at age 25, Gertrude experienced a vision that changed her life, the first of many. She began to focus her studies on theology and scripture and cultivated a strong practice of prayer and meditation. She wrote spiritual treatises for the other nuns and, along with Mechthilde, practiced nuptial mysticism, seeing herself as the bride of Christ.
Gertrude wrote many works, but only a few remain. Her most well-known work is Legatus Memorialis Abundantiae Divinae Pietatis or The Herald of Divine Love. Comprised of five books, book two was written by Gertrude and is viewed as the core of the work. Other nuns wrote the other books during and after Gertrude’s lifetime; it’s possible that Gertrude dictated some of them to nuns. Gertrude’s writings give us insight into her education at the monastery, as she wrote in fluent Latin, and show that Gertrude knew scriptures and the writing of early theologians and philosophers, including Augustine, as well as her contemporaries, including William of St. Thierry and Bernard of Clairvaux.
Because she became known as the most prominent theological writer of her time, male or female, she was given the title Gertrude the Great. Gertrude died in 1302, but the exact date is unknown. Therefore, people often commemorate her with her foster mother and teacher, Mechthilde. The Episcopal Church celebrates her feast day on November 21.
Collect for Gertrude the Great
Almighty God, who gave to your servants Mechthilde and Gertrude special gifts of grace to understand and teach the truth in Christ Jesus: Grant that by their teachings we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ your Son; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
— Miriam Willard McKenney
Gertrude of Nivelles
Some people spend March 17 celebrating a certain saint by going out for a green beer. Others celebrate by staying in with their cat.
That’s because two saints share the same feast day: St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, and St. Gertrude of Nivelles, the patron saint of cats.
Gertrude was born around 628 into “what was to become the most illustrious dynasty of early medieval Europe.” Her great-great-great-nephew was Charlemagne, Pattenden notes, and the king of the Franks attended a banquet hosted by her family when Gertrude was 10 years old.
At that banquet, Gertrude reportedly lost her temper when King Dagobert offered to arrange her marriage to a duke, swearing she would not marry “any earthly spouse but Christ the Lord.” The king and her father might have tried to convince her otherwise, but the two men died shortly thereafter.
A stream of suitors continued until Gertrude and her mother, Itta, established their own monastery, the Abbey of Nivelles in present-day Belgium. Gertrude became abbess after Itta’s death, welcoming Irish monks and other pilgrims, memorizing much of Scripture and tending to her garden.
So where do the cats come in?
Buckle up for this journey: One theory goes that because Gertrude was known for her hospitality (or maybe because she often prayed for those in purgatory), she was embraced as the patron saint of travelers and those who had recently died — who, you could say, were traveling from one life to the next, perhaps with a layover in purgatory. Because souls in purgatory were portrayed as mice, Gertrude was often depicted with mice at her feet or scurrying up her robes. Because Gertrude was covered in mice, she was invoked against rodents. Then she became associated with cats, who also are handy in warding off mice.
Gertrude is rumored to be handy in warding off sea monsters, too, but we’ll save the legends for future rounds of Lent Madness.
Meantime, if you need an excuse to stay in this St. Patrick’s Day, St. Gertrude of Nivelles stands ready to provide it.
Collect for Gertrude of Nivelles
O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us from an inordinate love of this world, that we, inspired by the devotion of your servant Gertrude, may serve you with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP)
134 comments on “Gertrude the Great vs. Gertrude of Nivelles”
9:46 am I just voted and everything seems to be working now!
I am skeptical about this "nuptial mysticism." If the church is the "bride of Christ," then there seems no need to deny human women marriage if they should desire it. The trick is to find a way to allow women both marriage and a rich life of study, mysticism, and community. Societies find that balance difficult, including our own. I voted for Gertrude the Great because her sororal community seemed genuinely supportive and nurturing. And there were doubtless some cats on the grounds.
Although I have been adopted by Tipper Cat, I voted for Gertrude the Great as an inspiration to work with others.
Where are the cat lovers? My cats would never forgive me if I didn’t vote for G of N.
I'm here! See my comment below! Remember, there's still plenty of time to vote!
I *had* to vote for the patron saint of cats, even though I'm an author.
Yea! The Supremes fixed the voting mechanism! Thanks! And even though our wonderful cat had an advocate in the race for “favorite Gertrude”, the “Great”
won my vote.
I'm a dog lady myself, but I've had a few felines in my lifetime, and there was just something about Gertrude of Nivelles that tugged at my heart. So, while the other Gertude might be "great," it's the cat lady who gets my support on this day.
Voted for Gertrude the Great, the theologian.
Hmmm. Voting difficulties. Will the votes be counted correctly? Have the same evildoers infiltrated and corrupted the machinery as they did in 2020? We need Mike the Pillow Guy to purge the system and give us the correct tally.
Meanwhile, back at the poll, I voted for Gertrude.
I had to vote for the mystic, erudite, theologian whose birthday is the day before mine, Gertrude the Great; but I did it while stroking my cat, so I feel a little guilty.
How could I not vote for an accomplished theologian and gifted writer who earned the title Great in an age when women had little access to education or to power.
Yes. Thank you Fiona for putting it so well. I am a HUGE cat lover, but Gertrude the Great's accomplishments as a woman of her era get my vote.
I could claim to be swayed toward Gertrude of Nivelles, whose feast day is every day here with my companions Stella Nutella HapaxLegomenon, my calico polydactyl Manx, and her orange friend Zeke the Not So Sleek. But they are more into praying than preying in their latter days, and did not mind (or notice) my voting for the greater Gertrude.
Later this week, though, I look forward to voting for Julian or Norwich -- a cat lady and a scholar!
Wedding anniversary is March 17. It was spring break. How can I resist?
I really wanted to vote for Gertrude of Nivelles, but anyone with "the Great" attached to their name has an edge.
My German mother almost named me Gertrude after an aunt, but fortunately her American friends convinced her to use the English form Margaret instead. Still, my nickname was always 'Trudy'. Also, I'm a dog person, so I had to go with Gertrude the Great.
Having difficulty with this brides of Christ thing. Reluctantly, I went with Gertrude the Great because I am a dog person. How's that for logic.
Darn the cat lady ain't gonna make it.
This day is in honour of my Late Great-Aunt Gertrude Rebecca. So should I have voted for Gertrude the Great -Aunt? But then I would miss out on the promised Gertrude legends, which, if the cats are anything to go by, will be fascinating. At least I know that thanks to the SEC [a] Gertrude will be in the next round.
Gertrude of Nivelles might fare better in the voting if her (imaginary) purview extends to include not only cats but: people who need to give a pill to a cat; people who need to get a reluctant cat into a carrier; people who need to convince Established Cat that Newcomer Cat is not the devil incarnate...
Oh man--that's funny! I refuse to *try* to give pills to cats & pony up the $$$ to Wedgewood for cream I can put in their ears instead. Have to take one to the vet today, so we know what that will involve: Tracking down kitty & then wrestling into the carrier. Yes, we need a saint who also encompasses all of that.
Peg, perhaps those attributes do attach to Gertrude of Nivelles. It does help me accomplish some of those deeds when I invoke the prayerful assistance of St. Gertrude.
Why is it so hard to vote?
four cats told me to vote for Gretrude of Nivelles
Patron Saint of evil (oops I mean cats, same thing) made me vote for the Great.
The superb artist and writer, Gertrud Mueller Nelson, author of To Dance With God, was named for Gertrude the Great and her sisters were named Mechtild and Hildegard. Obviously their parents identified with Benedictine spirituality.
They were brought to the US from Germany as children with their parents, who were Catholic scholars and teachers and were fleeing the Nazi regime. Her mother, a one of the unsung architects of the Catholic liturgical renewal, introduced the German custom of the Advent wreath to the monks of St John's Abbey in Collegeville, MN, from whence it has spread to American churches and homes of many church affiliations.
Gertrud is now in her 80s and is giving away all her classic "clip art" and other resources -- recipes, paper crafts, etc. on Facebook. She happily claims the patronage of both Gertrudes, but don't bring up the whole "cat" thing with her unless you want a diatribe about WHAT IS WRONG WITH MICE? GERTRUDE IS THE PATRON OF MICE, NOT CATS!!
She loves all living things, indeed, all of creation. Follow her on Facebook if you want to brighten your days.
Thank you for reminding me of Gertrude Muller Nelson and To Dance with God. I did not know all those things about her background and upbringing and feel blessed to get that deeper connection to an author whose works have really helped me.
Three cheers for Gertrude the Great!
Theological writer, first rate!
Studied scripture and prayed
in the monastery she stayed
as the Bride with Jesus, her mate.
Lost interest after many years of participating...used to buy 20 Lent Madness booklets and distribute to friends who would all follow to the end...not the same without the booklets which I collect and refer to off and on...Peace...
Somehow, Gertrude of Nivelles struck me as a person who was not only devout, but also compassionate. I look forward to more information about her.
Hi Verdery. I agree! See you soon. Barbara franklin
It says votes are not being accepted - the system seems to be broken at the moment. We'll try again later....
I'm going with the cat lady!
If Gertrude the Great was learned enough to write down her thoughts, she gets my vote. Besides, I don't really love cats that much.
Well, it looks like I'm on the losing side but it's Gertrude of Nivelles for me. Perhaps it's a necessity. As the subject of three feline overlords (actually one overlord and two overladies), do I really have a choice? I also have not been bothered by any sea monsters for some time; the fact that I live in the foothills of the Appalachians COULD have something to do with that.
Uncomfortable with the “bride of Christ” image. Adore both cats and mice. Going with the cat lady who also tended her garden in the peaceful sanctuary of her abbey.