Maria Petyt, also Petijt or Petiyt (1623–1677), was known as a "great mystic". Her writings have been cited as "unequaled in volume and mystical content within the historical context of the Flemish-speaking 17th century."

Early life

Maria Petyt was born in

Hazebrouck Hazebrouck (, , , ) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France. It was a small market town in Flanders until it became an important railway junction in the 1860s. West Flemish was the usual language until 1880, when French was taught ...

on 1 January 1623, in the French part of Flanders near

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

in present-day France, to parents who owned a fabric shop. Tragedy struck the young family numerous times: two sisters died while young, another died while only a teenager and her half-brother Ignace died by drowning. After a bout with smallpox at age eight, Maria was left with many facial marks, but despite these trials she remained an enthusiastic child, full of wit and joy. It was while preparing for her

first communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion (ot ...

at the age of 10 that Maria made a vow to become a nun and to consecrate herself to God.

Spiritual life

In 1640, against her father's wishes, she lived for a time in a convent of Augustinian sisters in

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

but did not join that order because, with her bad vision, "she cannot see the letters of the choral prayer." Instead she became a nun with Carmelite Third Order and took the name Marie of Saint Theresa (in French, Marie de Sainte Thérèse). In 1642, she entered the

Beguinage A beguinage, from the French language, French term , is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world. Originally the beguine institution w ...

of Ghent and took the sacred vows of obedience and chastity. In 1646, the direction of the Beguinage community was entrusted to a professor of philosophy, Michael of St. Augustine (born Jan van Ballaert), who became her spiritual director. Michael of St. Augustine, noticing Maria's spiritual work and mystical graces, suggested that she retire to a more solitary place. In October 1657 she moved to the beguinage in

Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...

near the Carmelite church where she began her solitary life of study and writing. In 1659, she took the vow of poverty and renewed her vows of obedience and chastity. She read many spiritual works such as the writings of

John of the Cross St. John of the Cross (; ; né Juan de Yepes y Álvarez; 24 June 1542 – 14 December 1591) was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest, mystic, and Carmelite friar of ''Converso'' ancestry. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, ...

Teresa of Avila Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; ) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or reap", or from θέ ...

John of Ruusbroec John of Ruusbroec or Jan van Ruusbroec (; 1293/1294 – 2 December 1381), sometimes modernized Ruysbroeck, was an Augustinian canon and one of the most important of the medieval mystics of the Low Countries. Some of his main literary works incl ...

, Eckhart von Hochheim and

John Tauler Johannes Tauler OP ( – 16 June 1361) was a German mystic, a Catholic priest and a theologian. He belonged to the Dominican order. Tauler was known as one of the most important Rhineland mystics. He promoted a certain neo-platonist dimens ...

. In about 1662, Michael of St. Augustine asked her to write a memoir of her spiritual and mystical experiences. The resulting autobiography titled ''La vie de Marie Petyt'' (''The Life of Maria Petyt'') was published after her death.

Death and burial

After an extended sickness, Maria died on 1 November 1677, and was buried in

in present-day Belgium. During the years of the French Revolution (1789-1798), the convent was closed. It was ultimately destroyed in 1804, and at that time her tomb was opened but discovered empty. Researchers have proposed that the Carmelite sisters buried Maria's body in a safer, unknown place for security reasons.

Beatification

Maria Petyt was declared "venerable" by the Catholic Church. She is also considered a "mystic" of the Carmelite Order.

References

External links

''De geestelijke Weg'' (The Spiriual Way) by Maria Petyt
(in Dutch)
Introducing the Carmelite Mystics by Christopher O'Donnell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petyt, Maria 1623 births 1677 deaths 17th-century Christian mystics Carmelite beatified people Belgian Christian mystics Nuns from the Spanish Netherlands 17th-century women writers Roman Catholic mystics