St. Gertrude the Great
Patron Saint of the West Indies
St. Gertrude the Great was born on January 6, 1256 in what is now Central Germany in the Holy Roman Empire. St. Gertrude became a Benedictine nun at a young age. At age 25, she began to have visions that changed her whole faith experience. She went from a faith of facts and knowledge, to a faith of meditation and prayer. She wrote multiple texts on her devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and her spirituality. Some of her writings are on her “nupital musticism,” a spirituality of seeing herself as a bride of Christ. Gertrude’s Spiritual Exercises, as well as Book 2 of her Herald of Divine Love, are some of her most influential surviving works. Pope Benedict XIV bestowed upon her the title “Great” to recognize her insight in theological and spiritual matters.