Aldetrude Explained

Aldetrude (died 696, or 526) was a Christian saint and from 684 was abbess of Maubeuge Abbey in the County of Hainault, now in northern France. She is also known as Aldetrude de Maubeuge, Aldetrude of Maubod, Aldetrudis and Adeltrude.[1] [2] [3]

She was one of the four children of Saint Waltrude, also known as Waldetrude, and Saint Vincent Madelgarius. [4] Her siblings were Saint Landericus, a bishop of Paris; Saint Dentelin who died very young; and Saint Madelberta, who was also abbess of Maubeuge.[5]

Her aunt Aldegonde, her mother's sister, was the first abbess of Maubeuge; Aldetrude was sent into her care as a girl and then succeeded her, and her sister Madelberte was the third abbess.

She died and is celebrated on the 25 or 27 February. The exact year of her death is unknown though some sources say 696, and she is said to have lived to an advanced age.

In The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical Dictionary (2015), "edited ... on behalf of the Benedictine Monks of St. Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth" it is stated that "Her extant biography is unreliable" and "The revised Roman Martyrology has her 170 years earlier", giving a death date of 526.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Saint Aldetrudis . Catholicsaints.info . 30 July 2016.
  2. Book: Butler's Lives of the Saints: vol 4 . 9780860122531 . 67 . 30 July 2016 . Butler . Alban . Burns . Paul . January 1999 . A&C Black .
  3. Web site: Saint Aldetrude of Malbod, February 25. Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae. 30 July 2016.
  4. Book: Holbock, Ferdinand . Saint Victor Madelgarius and Saint Waldetrudis. https://books.google.com/books?id=1HEuDwAAQBAJ&dq=Vincent+Madelgarius&pg=PA106 . Married Saints and Blesseds' . Ignatius Press . 2017. 106 . 9781681497532.
  5. Book: Godescard. Jean-Francois. Vies des Pères, Martyrs, et autres principaux Saints tirées des actes originaux et des monuments.... 1836. 593–594. https://books.google.com/books?id=QKRXmaUvP9sC&q=aldetrude&pg=PA594. 30 July 2016. Ste Aldetrude, Abbesse a Maubeuge.
  6. Book: Watkins. Basil. The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical Dictionary. 2015. Bloomsbury. 9780567664150. 30 July 2016.