Berlinda of Meerbeke
Encyclopedia
Saint Berlinda (died 702) was a Benedictine
nun
of noble
descent. Her feast day
is 3 February. Her legend states that she was a niece of Saint Amandus, and that she was disinherited by her father, Count Odelard, after he became sick with leprosy and believed that she would not take proper care of him.
Berlinda fled to a convent at Moorsel
, near Aalst
, and became a nun. After her father died, she became a hermit
at Meerbeke
, where her father had been buried. Her tradition states that she spent her life helping the poor and suffering.
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
of noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
descent. Her feast day
Calendar of saints
The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
is 3 February. Her legend states that she was a niece of Saint Amandus, and that she was disinherited by her father, Count Odelard, after he became sick with leprosy and believed that she would not take proper care of him.
Berlinda fled to a convent at Moorsel
Moorsel
Moorsel is a village in the Denderstreek in the province East Flanders in Belgium, a deelgemeente of the city of Aalst. The village belongs to a league of neighboring villages, which call themselves the Faluintjesgemeenten...
, near Aalst
Aalst, Belgium
Aalst is a city and municipality on the Dender River, 19 miles northwest from Brussels. It is located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Aalst itself and the villages of Baardegem, Erembodegem, Gijzegem, Herdersem, Hofstade,...
, and became a nun. After her father died, she became a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
at Meerbeke
Meerbeke
Meerbeke is a village in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. Administratively it is part of the municipality of Ninove. This rural community is located along the Dender River on the western border of what is known as "Pajottenland". With a total surface of 1047ha it is the...
, where her father had been buried. Her tradition states that she spent her life helping the poor and suffering.