St. Gertrude of Nivelles Badge

Gertrude of Nivelles was born around 628 CE into a noble family of the Merovingian realm. Her Vita, apparently recorded within a few years after her death in 659, says that at the age of ten she rejected the offer of a dynastically useful marriage, stating that she would have no spouse but Christ. When Gertrude’s father, Pepin of Landen, died around 640 her mother Itta founded the double Abbey of Nivelles, and promptly entered it as the first abbess, taking her daughter with her. In 652 Itta died and Gertrude became abbess. She was notable for her charity and for caring for the sick and the poor. Nivelles became famous as a hospitable stopping place for pilgrims and a center of monastic life.

The author of the Vita reports that he and another man were sailing on the sea, pursuing the monastery’s business when there was a violent storm and, simultaneously, a sea monster appeared. While the sailors called upon pagan deities, the writer’s companion calls upon Gertrude for aid. The storm immediately abated, and the monster retreated.

A pilgrimage arose upon St.Gertrude’s death and many miracles were attributed to her. She is considered the patron of travelers and gardeners, and a particular helper to the souls of those who have just died. From the early fifteenth century, she was invoked against rats and mice – badges like ours (dated 1475-1525) show her with rodents running up her robes or her crosier. More recently she has been identified as the patron of cats.

Her feast day in March 17.

This large and handsome pilgrim sign is offered in four versions. You can have it with a pewter, copper, or brass sheet for the backing – or you can buy it with no backing and put in a paper, parchment, or cloth backing of your own choice. If you choose the DIY option we include a paper pattern to copy.