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Venerable (Monastic)7th century

Saint Aldetrude of Maubeuge

died c. 696

Also known as Aldetrudis · Aldetrude

Daughter of Saints Vincent Madelgarus and Waltrude, raised under her aunt Saint Aldegund at Maubeuge, whom she succeeded as abbess of that monastery.

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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Mother Aldetrude, Abbess of Maubeuge

Life

Aldetrude (also Aldetrudis or Adeltrude, died c. 696) was a Frankish abbess of Maubeuge in Gaul, remembered as the second head of the monastery founded by her aunt. She was one of four children of Saint Waltrude and Saint Vincent Madelgarius, Count of Hainault, a family in which all members came to be venerated as saints.

Raised from childhood at Maubeuge under the care of her aunt Saint Aldegonde, the abbey's foundress, Aldetrude succeeded her as abbess after Aldegonde's death in 684. She was in turn followed in that office by her sister Saint Madelberta. She is commemorated on February 25 (February 27 in some sources).

Her surviving biography is regarded as unreliable, and the sources preserve a wide discrepancy in her dating of roughly 170 years, some placing her death about 526 and others about 696.

Timeline3 momentsReadHide
  1. 661Foundation of MaubeugeMaubeuge Abbey is established as a double monastery dedicated to caring for the sick, founded by Aldetrude's aunt Saint Aldegonde, who directs it until her death.
  2. 684Succession as abbessOn the death of Aldegonde, Aldetrude succeeds her aunt as the second abbess of Maubeuge; the end date of her tenure is not recorded in the abbey's list.
  3. c. 696DeathAldetrude dies (c. 696 in the later dating tradition); her sister Saint Madelberta becomes the third abbess.

Contributions & Legacy

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Family

Aldetrude belonged to a family remarkable for the number of its members venerated as saints. Her parents were Saint Waltrude (Waudru; c. 610 – 688), patron saint of Mons, and Saint Vincent Madelgarius, Count of Hainault. Around 656, following the early death of their son Dentelin, the couple separated to pursue religious lives: Madelgarius became a Benedictine monk at Hautmont Abbey, which he had founded, while Waltrude was given a cell and chapel near the oratory of Ghislain.

Her siblings were Saint Landericus (Landry), who became Bishop of Metz; Saint Dentelin, who died young; and Saint Madelberta, who like Aldetrude became abbess of Maubeuge. Her maternal aunt was Saint Aldegonde, the foundress of Maubeuge Abbey and sister of Waltrude.

Abbess of Maubeuge

Aldegonde built a small hospital at Malbode which grew into Maubeuge Abbey, and she took the young Aldetrude into her care and raised her at the community. When Aldegonde died in 684, Aldetrude succeeded her as the second abbess.

The abbey's list of superiors records her succession but leaves the close of her tenure unknown. She was followed as third abbess by her sister Madelberta. Maubeuge, established in 661 as a double monastery caring for the sick, later became an exclusively female community; it was designated a royal abbey in 864 under the Treaty of Meersen and continued until its dissolution in 1791.

Sources and Reliability

The historical record for Aldetrude is uncertain. Her extant biography is described as unreliable, and the surviving sources diverge by roughly 170 years in dating her death, ranging from about 526 to about 696. Her feast is kept on February 25, with February 27 given in some sources.

Family1 relativeShowHide
Her sister, who succeeded her as abbess of Maubeuge.
Madalbertaof Maubeuge
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Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldetrude