Gertrude the Great

Gertrude the Great was a German Benedictine nun and mystic writer who entered the monastery of Helfta at the age of five. She received a thorough education in various subjects, including grammar, rhetoric, logic, and theology. She was especially devoted to the study of Scripture and the Church Fathers. She experienced her first vision of Christ in 1281, when she was 25 years old, and from then on she had many mystical encounters with him. She wrote several spiritual works for the benefit of her fellow nuns, such as The Herald of Divine Love, The Spiritual Exercises, and The Life and Revelations. She also had a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Souls in Purgatory. She is recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church and is celebrated on November 16. She is also known as the patroness of the West Indies. She is regarded as one of the great mystics of the 13th century and one of the most influential women in Christian history. Her writings reveal her deep love for God and her profound wisdom and insight into the mysteries of faith. She was a friend and disciple of another saintly nun, Mechtilde of Hackeborn, who was her teacher and mentor. She died around 1302 in Helfta, near Eisleben, Saxony. Her relics are kept in the abbey church of Helfta.