St. Gertrude the Great

Their story

Gertrude was born in Germany in 1256. At about the age of five she was entrusted to the care of the nuns at the monastery of Helfta, a remarkable community known for learning and holiness. She grew into a bright and gifted scholar who loved literature and study. When Gertrude was twenty-five, she experienced a vision of Jesus that changed the direction of her life. She realized she had loved learning more than she loved God. From then on she turned from secular studies to Scripture, the writings of the Church Fathers, and above all prayer. She lived the rest of her life in the monastery, praying the liturgy with her sisters and growing in intimate friendship with Christ. Gertrude wrote about her experiences in works such as The Herald of Divine Love and Spiritual Exercises. She was one of the first great witnesses to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, centuries before it became widespread. Her writings are filled with confidence in God’s tender mercy. She died around 1302. She is the only woman saint called “the Great.”