Hiltrude of Liessies

Saint

Hiltrude
S. Hiltrvdis Virgo, attributed to Theodore Galle, after Peter Paul Rubens (1617)
Virgin
Born740/750
Died27 September c. 790
Liessies Abbey
Venerated inRoman Catholic Church
Canonized11th century
Feast27 September
AttributesLamp, candle
PatronageFever

Saint Hiltrude of Liessies (died late 700s) was a French Roman Catholic nun and saint. She is commemorated on September 27.[1]

Life

Hiltrude was the daughter of Ada, a Frankish noblewoman, and Wibert, Count of Poitiers, who owned lands between the Sambre and Meuse rivers.[2] He founded Liessies Abbey. Hilrude's brother, Guntrad, was the first abbot.

She wished to retire and live the life of a nun, however, her parents wanted her to marry a Burgundian lord.[3] She took the veil, with the blessing of the bishop of Cambrai. The suitor married her sister.[2]

Bust of Saint Hiltrude, Nord, France

Her brother welcomed her, and provided her with a cell attached to the abbey chapel. There she lived as a nun, participating in the liturgical life of the abbey. Her parents gave her an estate from Molhain to Yeaux for her life, and after her death it was to go to the Church of St. Lambert.

Later, following her example, several daughters of lords decided to join her, allowing the creation in 752 of a female annex. Hiltrude died on September 27th around 800.

Veneration

Chasse of Saint Hiltrude in the Church of Saint Hiltrude, Liessies

Her fame for sanctity grew over the centuries and on 17 September 1004 the bishop of Cambrai, Erluino, had her tomb opened, "elevating" her relics. Louis de Blois, abbot of Liessies contributed to the development of the cult. In 1587 her skull were placed in a new reliquary in silver. During the “Thirty Years’ War” the relics were saved in Mons, where in 1641 they were placed in an urn.

References

  1. ^ Borrelli, Antonio. "Sant' Iltrude (Hiltrude) di Liessies Vergine". Santi, beati e testimoni - Enciclopedia dei Santi. 15 February 2006. Retrieved 19 April 2022
  2. ^ a b Commire 2007, p. 879.
  3. ^ "Sainte Hiltrude", Nominis

Bibliography

  • Commire, Anne, ed. (2007). "Hiltrude of Liessies". In Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women through the Ages. Vol. 1: A–L. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale. p. 879.
  • Commission historique du Nord (1866). Bulletin de la Bulletin de la Commission historique du département du Nord. Lille: L. Danel. pp. 181–182.
  • Godescard, Abbé (1831). "Ste Hiltrude". In Vies des Pères, des martyrs et des autres principaux saints. Translated from the English of Alban Butler. Vol. 14. Louvain: Valinthout and Vandenzande. pp. 164–170.
  • Monks of Ramsgate (1921). "Hiltrude". In The Book of Saints. London: A. & C. Black, Ltd. pp. 136–137.
  • Schäfer, Joachim (17 November 2015). "Hiltrud von Lissies". Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
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