Gertrude the Great
| Saint Gertrude | |
|---|---|
| Virgin, Religious | |
| Born | January 6 1256, Eisleben, Thuringia |
| Died | November 17, 1301, Helfta, Saxony |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholicism |
| Beatified | No |
| Canonized | No |
| Feast | November 16 |
| Attributes | |
| Patronage | West Indies |
| May my soul bless you, Lord God, my creator; may my soul bless you and from the marrow of my innermost being may thanks be given for your mercies, with which your most intemperate love has so undeservedly surrounded me! Libris Insinuationum divinae pietatis, by St. Gertrude | |
Gertrude the Great (January 6 1256–November 17 1301) (known informally as Saint Gertrude) was a German Benedictine and mystic writer.
Gertrude was born January 6 1256 in Eisleben, Thuringia (now part of Germany). As a young girl, she joined the Cistercians in Helfta. She dedicated herself to her studies, becoming an expert in literature and philosophy. She later experienced a conversion to God and began to strive for perfection in her religious life. She had various mystical experiences, including a vision of Jesus, who invited her to rest her head on his breast to hear the beating of his heart.
She died at Helfta, near Eisleben, Saxony, 17 November, 1301 or 1302.
Although called Saint Gertrude, she was never formerly canonized. Her feast day of November 16 was declared in 1677 by Pope Clement XII.