Saint Alice
Saint Alice (also known as Blessed Alice of Schaerbeek or Aleydis of Schaerbeek; born c. 1220 near Brussels, Belgium; died June 15, 1250 at La Cambre Abbey, Brussels) was a Belgian Cistercian nun who entered religious life as a young child and was later afflicted with leprosy—a suffering she embraced as a participation in the Passion of Christ. Despite her illness, she grew in union with Christ, particularly in Eucharistic devotion, and was known for mystical gifts. When the disease prevented her from receiving the chalice, she is said to have been miraculously consoled in her longing for full communion. She was beatified by Pope Clement XI in 1702. Her feast day is June 15.
Alice of Schaerbeek belongs to a constellation of thirteenth-century Belgian Cistercian women mystics—including Lutgardis, Ida of Nivelles, and Beatrice of Nazareth—who contributed to a distinctive tradition of affective, Eucharistic, and Christ-centered mysticism in the Low Countries. Her willingness to embrace suffering from leprosy as a path of union with the crucified Christ made her an enduring exemplar of redemptive suffering.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Alice
| Saint Alice | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 15 |
| Profession | Cistercian nun |
| Rel. Affiliation | Order of Cistercians; La Cambre Abbey |
| Patronage | Lepers; those with physical disfigurement; those who suffer from illness |
| Attributes | Cistercian habit; lily; leper's bells or bandages |
| Birthplace | Schaerbeek (present-day Brussels), Belgium |
| Death Place | La Cambre Abbey, Brussels, Belgium |
| Cause of Death | Leprosy |
| Liturgical Class | Not included (universal calendar) |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Early life
Alice was born around 1220 in Schaerbeek, near Brussels. She entered the Cistercian convent of La Cambre (Notre-Dame de la Cambre) near Brussels as a young child—some sources say at age seven—and received her entire formation in the religious life there.
Leprosy and spiritual transformation
In her late teens or young adulthood, Alice contracted leprosy. The disease progressed to affect her body severely, leaving her blind and partially paralyzed, and eventually requiring her to be isolated from the community. Far from destroying her spiritual life, the suffering of leprosy became for Alice the occasion of deep mystical union with the crucified Christ. She embraced her condition as a participation in Christ's Passion and continued to grow in interior prayer and charity.
When her illness made it physically impossible for her to receive the chalice at communion, she is reported to have received a mystical consolation—assurance that communion in one kind was sufficient for her union with Christ.
Death
Alice died on June 15, 1250, at La Cambre Abbey, at approximately thirty years of age. She was immediately venerated as a holy woman by those who knew her.
Significant events
- Entered La Cambre Cistercian Abbey near Brussels as a young child.
- Contracted leprosy in young adulthood; embraced suffering as a participation in Christ's Passion.
- Grew blind and paralyzed; received mystical consolations.
- Died June 15, 1250 at La Cambre.
- Beatified by Pope Clement XI in 1702.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Schaerbeek (present-day Brussels), Belgium
Death location: La Cambre Abbey, Brussels, Belgium
Notable location: Cistercian abbey where she entered as a child and died (La Cambre Abbey, Brussels, Belgium)
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Canonization
Beatification
Alice of Schaerbeek was beatified by Pope Clement XI in 1702.
Feast day
June 15
Veneration
Saint Alice is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on June 15, especially in Belgium and among Cistercian communities. She is a representative of the remarkable tradition of Belgian women mystics of the thirteenth century, known for their Eucharistic devotion and willingness to embrace suffering.
Prayers
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