Gertrude of Nivelles
Feast Day: March 17
Patron of
• Cats & those who love them
• Travelers in Search of Lodging
• Gardeners • Herbalists
Invoked Against • Rodents • Fear of Rats & Mice • Fever
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Gertrude was abbess of a double monastery, founded by her mother, Itta, at Nivelles, Belgium. Though known for her hospitality and generosity to travelers and pilgrims, she left the management of her monastery to a few trusted nuns and monks, in order that she might gain more time for study, meditation and prayer.
A mystic and visionary, she was venerated as a saint immediately after her death on March 17, 659, at age of 33, and a church later was erected in her honor.
A large following venerating Saint Gertrude spread widely throughout Belgium and its neighboring countries where quite a bit of folklore accumulated.
She is recognized as a patroness of travelers, including those who have recently died. In art, Gertrude is often depicted with mice (some say symbolizing the souls in purgatory) running up her pastoral staff. As late as the 19th century, offerings of gold and silver mice were left at her shrine in Cologne. She is still invoked against rodents and it is said that water from her well and cakes baked in her convent ovens will keep them away.
Her power over rodents apparently accounts for her traditional patronage of cats.
Gertrude is considered one of the patron saints of gardeners because fine weather on her feast day means it is time to begin spring planting.
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Learn more about Gertrude and her family at these links:
Biographical info from the Catholic Encyclopedia and from Wikipedia and from SQPN
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Why is St. Gertrude the Patron Saint of Cats?
Gertrude’s patronage of cats is most likely because water from her well, and bread baked in her oven, were believed to repel rodents.…
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You’ll find all kinds of information pertaining to Gertrude on our Links page,
from fun to serious — a Kitchen Sink, as it were.
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Please pray for my Jasmine. She has been thru so much these past couple of years. She is 11 years old and she is the most loving cat I have ever had. I found St Gertrude in 2015 when Jasmine was ill then. I really need her help now. Thank you
asking for prayers, to find homes for my kittens, have 6 kittens and two adults, keeping the adults but need to find homes for the kittens, I would love to keep all of them, but in our city, you can only keep 5 cats, plus I have 6 dogs, (over the limit 5) any thing over have to be document with the city. Thank you
My cat is missing and I want him home
Just found out about st Getrude. Holy St Getrude, please pay for the cats at the backyard. I think my neighbour (who is a real pain) owns those cats. However, I have my doubts about them feeding the cats. So, I ask for your intercession, that these people will feed their cats properly. My neighbour is very defensive, else it would have been easy to ask them.
i felt blessed this morning because when i opened my laptop to browse on my Facebook, i saw a post with the picture of St. Gertrude, Patron Saint of Cats….i made a research at once to know something about her….i found out that the date of her death coincides with my birthdate….amazing!!! Now, i have a new patron saint who i am going to call for help as regards my cats’ health and safety…
I’m glad you found us!
My granmother’s name was Gertrude…I was confirmed in St Gertrude’s Catholic church
My friend Stanley, 17-y-o, developed heart trouble…died peacefully, in his own time, by the Aga at home. Buried by the grapevine in the garden.Vet saw him at home,…Stan was doing things in his own
way….
Ah, so this explains it. My love of cats. My first name is a derivative of Gertrude. I was named after my mother’s infant sister who passed shortly after birth. But she went with the more modern version of the name–Trudy. So that is how I became the crazy cat lady. My name sealed my fate.
I LOVE this !!! Just found out about it…Thank you so much!!! I had a very sick cat, a couple of years ago, “Baby” had FIP, terminal…I prayed to St. Frances, God, the Angels, My loved ones in heaven. “Baby” lived around TWO YEARS !!! This is wonderful, Thanks for the hope that I am sending to my “FIP group” .