Around this time of year, most people are gearing up for St. Paddy’s Day (or, Saint Patrick's Day). Indeed, every year, March 17th heralds another year of drinking, shenanigans, and green-colored everything. I’m personally looking forward to curling up on my couch and chugging down a large Shamrock Shake from McDonald’s in one disgusting but impressive gulp. Certainly, my Irish ancestors would be proud, I’m sure. While all of this might serve as a fun excuse to be belligerent, there’s actually another reason why March 17th is a very special day. You see, March 17th is the feast day of one very special saint, who is often grossly overlooked by the history books. Her name is Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, and she’s the Patron Saint of… you guessed it: CATS. HISTORY OF SAINT GERTRUDE So, who was Saint Gertrude? Well, born in 628 to a noble family in what is now modern day Belgium, your girl Gerty was one sassy lassie, as God-loving as she was headstrong. At the tender age of 10, when presented with the prospect of marriage to a duke, Gertrude set the record straight and insisted that she wasn’t ever gonna marry no duke. In fact, she wasn’t gonna marry no man at all, so jot that down, thank you very much. Some time later, after the death of Gertrude’s father, Gertrude’s mother Itta shaved her daughter’s head in the “tonsure” style that monks often wear. Gertrude and Itta then travelled to Nivelles and established the Abbey of Nivelles, which served as a Benedictine nunnery. Later, it became a monastery for both nuns and Irish monks alike. A scholarly and charitable woman, Gertrude spent many years of her life as Abbess to the monastery, dedicating her time to helping the sick, the elderly, and the poor. This earned her a reputation as a patron saint of travellers, widows, and the mentally ill. Today, she is called upon to ward off rats, fever, and insanity. Three years after she retired from her position as Abbess, she passed away at age 33. Since her feast day is on March 17th, many look to Saint Gertrude as a patron saint of gardeners as well, since this day usually brings fair weather, ideal for gardening. HOLY CAT So like, you know, that’s cool and all, but where do the cats come in? Come for the Catholicism, stay for the cats, am I right? Well, it all started out with the whole rats and mice thing. Rodents were a huge problem in the Medieval Ages, we know this. When someone wanted to get rid of a rat infestation, they called upon Saint Gertrude. As such, much of the iconography that surrounds Saint Gertrude includes little rats and mice at her feet. Did people in the Medieval times necessarily know that rats carried with them the Black Death? Weirdly enough, probably not. At least not for like, a while. Yikes. In the 1980s, devoted Christian Gertrude-lovers took the leap from associating Gertrude as a rodent-banisher to a protector of cats (who, you know, are also rodent-banishers.) To quote Thomas J. Craughwell, “St. Gertrude is invoked against mice and rats, which has led cat lovers to assume that Gertrude was a cat person, and so the ideal patron of their favorite pet.” Now that’s some logic I can get behind. Clark, Carolee. Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, Patron of Cats and Gardeners. Acrylic Painting. Purchase print here. WAYS TO CELEBRATE Are you just not that into drinking til you see green? Would you rather spend March 17th on your couch, snuggled up with your cats, chugging a large Shamrock Shake? Hey man, I’m right there with you. Saint Paddy’s Day? Never heard of her. We do Saint Gertrude’s Day in this house. Let us give thanks for this Patron Said Of Puddy-cats by having a day in, cracking open a fresh can of tuna and watching #Cats_the_mewvie on Netflix. Are you of the Catholic purr-suasion? Is prayer your “thing”? Why not send one upstairs to Saint Gertrud herself with this prayer written by Ann Fitch: "O holy St. Gertrude of Nivelles, Patron Saint of Cats, I ask you to pray that my sweet kitty(ies) will always be content, energetic, curious, playful, and good-natured. I pray my cat(s) will be a joy to me and those I love. Carry my cat(s) to the throne of the Father and ask Him to bless my cat(s) with long life and great happiness. Pray dear saint that my cat(s) stay free from illness and that my cat(s) always feel safe, protected, and loved. Thank you for asking blessings upon my cat(s). Ask the Lord to pour out special graces upon all cats and cat owners. May they bring great love to one another and live companionably in peace. Amen." Thumbnail image by Carolee Clark, @kingofmicestudios on etsy Article Written by Diomira Keane
ABOUT THIS PIECE Saint Dymphna is celebrated as the patron Saint of Anxiety & Mental illness… with the wild ride of what the world has just been through of 2020, don’t you think we all need a St Dymphna in our lives?! Her personal story is weird & unexpected, no doubt causing her a lot of anxiety from a young age. Dymphna was born in Ireland & when she was just 14 years old, her mother died and her father - who had loved his wife deeply - began to suffer a rapid deterioration of his mental stability. Her father was so unhappy that it was suggested her remarry, although he would only consider someone as beautiful as Dymphna’s mother. After failed attempts to search for a new wife, his evil advisors suggested that he marry his very own daughter, Dymphna, to which he agreed! When Dymphna heard of these suggestions she fled to Belgium where she built a hospital to help care for the sick and poor. Her father eventually found her although she successfully refused his request and continued to live in chastity & helping others. The strong spirit of St Dymphna and her ability to over come and flourish from anxiety lives on in our St Dymphna pendant, a talisman to hold dear to your heart to help you work through challenging moments and uncertain times. Just one of our ever-growing collection of Saint Pendants, shop our entire range of Saint Pendants over here. DETAILS Made from Solid 9kt Gold Pendant measures approx. 20mm x 15mm Also available in Silver & 18kt Gold plating All of our Solid Gold pieces are made to order, please allow up to 35 days for shipping (Please email us if your piece is urgent & we can advise options) Once your order has been placed there is no cancelling of any item made from our Solid Gold collection. This is due to their bespoke nature and the timely process in which it takes to create these pieces. Served up on an 18" chain. Please email us for possible other chain options. Comes packaged in our signature Luna & Rose jewellery box, perfect for gifting amongst loved ones! Minimum of 1% from this sale is donated back to Charity. Read more about this over here If you have any questions about our jewellery at all, please email us via our contact page here and we will be in touch within 48 hours.
St. Cajetan, you lovingly provided financial assistance to the unemployed and often went without in order to bless the families of the....
Afte the Blessed Virgin, St. Philomena, the Wonderworker was St. John Vianney's favorite saint. This is my favorite image of her.
Do you know that today, the 17th of March, is the day of St.Gertrude of Nivelles, patron saint of cats?
St Piran, patron saint of tin-miners, and also regarded as the patron saint of Cornwall. Kernow pride in the Perranporth dunes.
An 8" x 10" matted print of a vintage French poster. The original poster was recently purchased at a nearby monastic barn sale. The colors and graphics are wonderfully old-world and the print would be a welcome surprise for any gardener or flower lover. The print is unframed (the example in gold is for illustration only) but will fit in any 8" x 10" frame of your choice.
