Gertrude van der Oosten

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Gertrude van der Oosten (Gertrude of Delft) (born at Voorburch, Netherlands; died at Delft, 6 January 1358) was a Dutch Beguine.

[edit] Life

She was born of peasant parents, and entered into service at Delft. Her surname of "van Ooten", or "of the East", is due to her custom of singing a hymn which began: "Het daghet in den Oosten", i.e., "Day breaketh in the East", the composition of which is attributed to herself.

She obtained entrance into the Beguinage of Delft. Here, though not a religious, nor bound by vows, she profited by the ample opportunities for contemplation. Gertrude evinced great devotion to the mysteries of the Incarnation, especially to the Sacred Passion, on which account she received on her body the impression of the sacred stigmata. She begged that the favour might be withdrawn, and her prayer was so far granted that the blood ceased to flow, but the marks of the stigmata remained. At the same time she had was favoured with the gift of prophecy.

She died on the feast of Epiphany and was buried in the church of St. Hippolytus Delft. Her name has never been inscribed in the Roman Martyrology, though she is commemorated in various others, and her cultus is merely a local one.

This article incorporates text from the entry Ven. Gertrude van der Oosten in the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.