View source for Rictrude

[[File:Cartulaire Marchiennes abbaye.JPG|thumb|]]
'''Rictrude''' (Rictrudis, Richtrudis, Richrudis) (c. 614–688) was abbess of [[Marchiennes Abbey]], in [[Flanders]]. The main early source for her life is the ''Vita Rictrudis'', commissioned by the abbey, and written in 907 by [[Hucbald]].<ref>Karine Ugé, ''The Legend of Saint Rictrude'', pp. 283-4, in John Gillingham, ''Anglo-Norman Studies 23: Proceedings of the Battle Conference 2000'' (2001)</ref>
==Life==
She was from a noble family in [[Gascony]], the daughter of Ernoldo, lord of Toulouse.<ref name=santi>[http://santiebeati.it/dettaglio/94358 "Sant 'Adalbaldo", Santi e Beati, November 1, 2008]</ref> She married [[Adalbard]], Duke of Douai, despite the opposition of some members of her family. In Hucbald's account, this is shown deliberately as a model marriage.<ref>Philip Lyndon Reynolds, ''Marriage in the Western Church'' (2001), p. 411.</ref> It is unclear whether she had four or five children. Her four known children were: Clotsinda, successor as abbess,<ref>Matthew Bunson, Stephen Bunson, ''Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints'' (2003), p. 214.</ref> [[Adalsinda]],<ref>Bunson and Bunson, p. 34.</ref> Eusebia and [[Maurantius]].<ref>[http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0512.shtml Saint of the Day, May 12: ''Rictrudis of Marchiennes''] ''SaintPatrickDC.org.'' Retrieved 2012-03-08.</ref>
The couple opened their castle to the poor and disadvantaged. The hermit-monk [[Richarius]] was a family friend.<ref>Van den Akker sj, Dries. "Adalbald of Douai", ''Heiligen'', 2008</ref> Around the year 630, Adalbald founded [[Marchiennes Abbey]], on the advice of [[Amandus]] of Maastricht. In 643, Rictrude made it a [[double monastery]].
Adalbard was murdered in obscure circumstances around 652, near Périgueux during a subsequent expedition to Aquitaine, probably by his wife's relatives still bitter about the marriage to an enemy of her people. After her husband's death, Rictrude resisted royal pressure to remarry and retired to Marchiennes Abbey, with her daughters and became abbess.<ref>[https://www.persee.fr/doc/rhef_0300-9505_1945_num_31_118_2986 Cristiani, Léon. "Liste chronologique des saints de France, des origines à l'avènement des carolingiens", ''Revue d'histoire de l'Église de France'', 1945, p. 76]</ref> In this she was supported by Amandus, Abbot of Elnon. Rectrude died in 688.<ref>[https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/6966/Sainte-Rictrude.html "Sainte Rictrude", ''Nominis'']</ref>
Rictrude is recognized as a Catholic saint; her feast day is 12 May. As a pre-1054 Great (East-West) Schism Western Saint she is thus also recognised as a Saint by the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]] and the [[True Orthodox Church]], and is additionally celebrated on 30 June in their liturgical calendars.  Her four children are also saints.
==Clotsinda==
Born around 638, Clotsinda was a younger daughter of Rictrude and [[Adalbard]] duke of [[Douai]],<ref>Matthew Bunson, Stephen Bunson, Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints (2003), p. 214.</ref> In 688, she succeeded her mother as the second abbess of the [[double monastery]] of [[Marchiennes Abbey]].<ref>[https://www.persee.fr/doc/rhef_0300-9505_1945_num_31_118_2986 Cristiani, Léon. "Liste chronologique des saints de France, des origines à l'avènement des carolingiens", ''Revue d'histoire de l'Église de France'', 1945, p. 76]</ref> She died around 714.<ref>[https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/10996/Sainte-Clotsinde.html "Sainte Clotsinde", Nominis]</ref>
Her siblings [[Maurontius of Douai|Maurontius]], [[Adalsinda]] and Eusebia are also honored as saints.
Her feast day is of May 5; Closinda is especially venerated in [[Douai]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chd.dk/tutor/lit_douai.html |title=Litany from Douai 14th century |access-date=2014-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328010214/http://www.chd.dk/tutor/lit_douai.html |archive-date=2015-03-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the Orthodox faith, she is commemorated on June 30.<ref>[https://orthodoxie.com/30-juin/amp/ "30 Juin", Orthodoxie]</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Sources==
*Jo Ann McNamara, John E. Halborg, E. Gordon Whatley (1992), ''Sainted Women of the Dark Ages'', pp.&nbsp;195–219
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[[Category:688 deaths]]
[[Category:7th-century Frankish saints]]
[[Category:7th-century Frankish women]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:Christian female saints of the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Colombanian saints]]