Saint Ermelinda
Saint Ermelinda (also: Ermelindis; born c. 520 AD in Meldert, near Tienen, Brabant, Belgium; died October 29, c. 595 AD at Meldert, Flemish Brabant, Belgium) was a Frankish noblewoman who rejected a proposed marriage and spent her life as a recluse in Brabant. She is one of the patron saints of the diocese of Mechelen-Brussels and is venerated in the Flemish-speaking regions of Belgium. Her feast day is October 29.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Ermelinda
| Saint Ermelinda | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | October 29 |
| Profession | Noble virgin; recluse; anchoress |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Frankish monastic/recluse tradition |
| Patronage | Meldert; Flemish Brabant; recluses; virgins |
| Attributes | Lily (virginity); hermit's clothing; cross; Brabant cross |
| Birthplace | Meldert, near Tienen, Brabant (modern Belgium) |
| Death Place | Meldert, Flemish Brabant, Belgium |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died as a recluse in Meldert |
| Primary Shrine | Church of Saint Ermelindis, Meldert, Flemish Brabant — the parish church dedicated to her; her relics kept here; a local pilgrimage |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman Calendar; feast observed in Diocese of Mechelen-Brussels |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Ermelinda was born around 520 AD into a noble Frankish family in Brabant (modern Belgium). According to her hagiography, she was intended for marriage but felt called to consecrated virginity. She fled her family's home and sought a life of prayer and solitude. She lived for a time at different places in Brabant and eventually settled permanently at Meldert (in the modern municipality of Boutersem, Flemish Brabant), where she lived as a recluse until her death around 595.
She is associated with the wider tradition of female recluses and holy virgins who characterized the early Christian aristocracy of the Merovingian Frankish kingdoms. She was never a member of a formal religious congregation but lived the ancient form of the vita solitaria under the protection of local clergy.
Her cult was particularly strong in Brabant and the Low Countries. A church was built over her tomb at Meldert dedicated to her; it became a place of pilgrimage. Her relics were venerated there through the Middle Ages.
Her feast day is October 29.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Meldert, near Tienen, Brabant (modern Belgium)
Death location: Meldert, Flemish Brabant, Belgium
Notable location: The village where she spent her life as a recluse and where she is buried; the parish church of Meldert bears her name; her feast is celebrated here (Meldert, Flemish Brabant, Belgium)
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Church of Saint Ermelindis, Meldert, Flemish Brabant, Belgium — her burial place; her relics; the site of local pilgrimage.
Feast day
October 29
Veneration
Saint Ermelinda is venerated in the Diocese of Mechelen-Brussels with a feast day on October 29.
Prayers
Authored
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Intercessory
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