Saint Waltrude (; ; ; ; died April 9, 688 AD) is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

Mons Mons commonly refers to: * Mons, Belgium, a city in Belgium * Mons pubis (mons Venus or mons veneris), in mammalian anatomy, the adipose tissue lying above the pubic bone * Mons (planetary nomenclature), a sizable extraterrestrial mountain * Batt ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, where she is known in French as Sainte Waudru, and of

Herentals Herentals () is a municipality and city in the province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the city of Herentals proper and the towns of Morkhoven and Noorderwijk. In 2022, Herentals had a total population of 28,455. The total area is . Saint ...

, where she is known in Dutch as Sint-Waldetrudis or -Waltrudis. Both cities boast a large medieval church that bears her name.

Life

Waltrude was born in

Cousolre Cousolre () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The nearest major city is Charleroi in Belgium (the village is very close to the Belgian border). It is about southwest of Charleroi and east of Maubeuge. Population Heral ...

in northern France, to a wealthy and influential noble family. According to

Alban Butler Alban Butler (13 October 171015 May 1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiography, hagiographer. Born in Northamptonshire, he studied at the English College, in Douai, Douay, France where he later taught philosophy and theology. He s ...

, she was a sister to

Aldegonde Aldegund ( 639–684), also Aldegundis or Aldegonde, was a Frankish Benedictine abbess who is honored as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in France and by the Orthodox Church. Aldegund was closely related to the Merovingian royal family. H ...

, foundress of

Maubeuge Abbey Maubeuge Abbey (; ) was a women's monastery in Maubeuge, in the County of Hainaut, now northern France, close to the modern border with Belgium. It is best known today as the abbey founded by St. Aldegonde, still a popular figure of devotion in t ...

. She was also cousin to

Saint Aye Aye (died c. 711) is a Belgian Catholic saint. She has been referred to also as Aia, Aya, Agia, and St. Austregildis. She is sometimes confused with another St. Agia, the mother of the French Saint Loup of Sens. Aye is revered by the Beguines o ...

.Dunbar, Agnes Baillie Cunninghame. ''A Dictionary of Saintly Women'', Volume 2, Bell, 1905, p. 298
/ref> Waltrude married

Vincent Madelgarius Vincent Madelgarius, aka ''Maelceadar'', Benedictine monk, died 677. His feast day is September 20. Belgian accounts Belgian sources state that Madelgarus was born about 615 in Strépy, Belgium. The young nobleman married around 635 the dist ...

, the

Count of Hainault The Count of Hainaut (; ; ) was the ruler of the county of Hainaut, a historical region in the Low Countries (including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany). In English-la ...

. They had four children: *

Aldetrude Aldetrude (died 696, or 526) was a Christian saint and from 684 was abbess of Maubeuge Abbey in the County of Hainault, now in northern France. She is also known as Aldetrude de Maubeuge, Aldetrude of Maubod, Aldetrudis and Adeltrude. She was on ...

, abbess of Maubeuge Abbey *

Landry of Soignies Landry, Landric, Landericus, or Landry of Soignies, commonly known as Saint Landry of Metz (died 17 April 692–700 AD) was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Metz, Benedictine abbot of Haumont and Soignies, and a Frankish saint. He was the son of Sai ...

, Roman Catholic Bishop of Metz *

Madelberte of Maubeuge Saint Madelberte of Maubeuge (or Machtelberthe; died c. 705) was a 7th-century nun related to the Merovingian dynasty. She became abbess of Maubeuge Abbey in the County of Hainaut, now in northern France near the Belgian border. She died in 705 or ...

, succeeded Aldetrude as abbess of Mauberge *

Dentelin of Mons Dentelin, Dentelinus, or Saint Dentelin of Soignies (died 16 March 656 AD) was a Frankish saint. He was the son of Saint Waltrude and Madelgaire. Biography Dentelin was born around 649 AD in the pagus Hainoensis, Kingdom of Austrasia, Franc ...

"Waltrude, her life and her works", Wallonia tourism
/ref> Waltraud Waudru

Around 642 Madelgarius founded the monastery known as

Hautmont Abbey Hautmont Abbey () or the Abbey of Hautmont, was a Benedictine monastery in Hautmont in the department of Nord, France. History Foundation The Hautmont Abbey was originally in the pagus Hainoensis on the right bank of the Sambre, a few kilometr ...

. Waltrude persuaded

Saint Ghislain Ghislain (died 9 October 680) was a confessor and anchorite in Belgium. He died at the town named after him, Saint-Ghislain. Life He was probably of Germanic origin. Ghislain lived in the province of Hainaut in the time of Amandus (d. 679) a ...

to establish an oratory at a place called Ursidongus, now known as

Saint-Ghislain Saint-Ghislain (; ; ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On 1 January 2018 the municipality had 23,335 inhabitants. The total area is , giving a population density of . The municipality consists ...

. The city of

grew around it. Around 656, after the death of the young Dentelin, the couple decided to separate and retire to separate monasteries. Madelgarius went to Hautmont, where he became a Benedictine monk. Hydulphe of Hainault, husband of her cousin Aye, built her a cell and chapel near Ghislain's oratory. She was sometimes visited by her sister Aldegonde of Maubeuge. Her biography celebrates her for "the pious intention under vow to free captives. She arranged the ransom price 'pretium'' weighed out the silver. ... When the captives had been bought back with the ransom money out of her own purse, at her command they returned to their families and homes."Schulenburg, Jane Tibbetts. ''Forgetful of their Sex: Female Sanctity and Society, ca. 500-1100''. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press. . p. 76.

Veneration

Upon her death, established by tradition as falling on 9 April 688, Waltrude was proclaimed holy by the vox populi. Waltrude is the patron saint of the city of Mons. The shrine of Saint Waltrude is kept in the Saint Waltrude Collegiate Church in Mons. Each year, as part of the

Ducasse de Mons The Ducasse de Mons, also commonly known as the Doudou, is a traditional folk festival held in Mons, Belgium, Mons, Hainaut Province, Hainaut, Belgium, on Trinity Sunday (57 days after Easter). The feast comprises two important parts: the proc ...

festival, the shrine is placed on the ''car d'or'', a gilded cart, and drawn by horses through the city streets. Both her parents (

Walbert IV Saint Walbert IV () (died 640-646 AD), also known as Vaubert, Waubert, or Waudbert was a Merovingian Count of Hainaut and a Frankish saint. He was the father of Saint Waltrude (wife of Madelgaire), and Saint Aldegund, first abbess of Maubeuge ...

and Bertille) and her sister (

Aldegund Aldegund ( 639–684), also Aldegundis or Aldegonde, was a Frankish Benedictine abbess who is honored as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in France and by the Orthodox Church. Aldegund was closely related to the Merovingian royal family. Her ...

) were canonized. Her four children were also declared saints ( Landericus,

Dentelin Dentelin was a region of the Frankish Empire disputed between Austrasia and Neustria. Mentioned in the Chronicle of Fredegar, the Duchy of Dentelin included far north-eastern parts of modern France and south-western parts of Belgium. The cities ...

, and Madelberte) as was her husband (

Madelgaire Vincent Madelgarius, aka ''Maelceadar'', Benedictine monk, died 677. His feast day is September 20. Belgian accounts Belgian sources state that Madelgarus was born about 615 in Strépy, Belgium. The young nobleman married around 635 the dist ...

References

{{Use British English Oxford spelling, date=May 2018 7th-century births 688 deaths 7th-century Frankish saints Female saints of medieval Belgium Colombanian saints 7th-century Frankish nuns 7th-century Christian nuns Merovingian saints