Saint Bertilla of Marœuil
Widow and recluse
Born into an illustrious Frankish family, Saint Bertille lived in continence with her husband Guthland before dedicating herself entirely to God after her widowhood. She retired as a recluse to Marœuil, where she had a church built in honor of Saint Amand. Her relics, honored since the 7th century, remain an object of veneration in Marœuil.
Guided reading
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SAINT BERTILLE, WIDOW,
Origins and early piety
Born into a noble Frankish family, Bertille distinguished herself from childhood by her piety and detachment from worldly riches.
RECLUSE AT MARŒUIL, IN THE DIOCESE OF ARRAS (circa 687). Be Bertille 7th-century recluse saint, founder at Marœuil. rtille, a close relative of Saint Adalbaud, came from a family illustrious among the Franks for its nobility and great wealth, but even more illustrious for its Christian piety. Raised by her parents with the greatest care, she herself showed rare piety from her earliest years. Once grown, she took delight in conversing about holy things, in attending to prayer, in hearing and meditating on the word of God, and in providing for the needs of the poor by all means in her power. In her contempt for worldly pomp, she only wore the splendid garments befitting her station when she was compelled to do so by absolute necessity. She was long and ardently sought in marriage by a young man named Guthland, whom his nobility and the purity of his morals made equally remarkable; Bertille Guthland Husband of Saint Bertilla, who agreed to live in continence. resisted his wishes for a long time, and it was only through the insistence and prayers of her parents that she was persuaded to give him her hand; for it was Christ alone whom she desired as her Spouse; the solitary life hidden in God was the only happiness to which she aspired in this world.
A virginal marriage
Married against her will to Guthland, she convinced him to live in continence before dedicating herself entirely to God after her widowhood.
In the conjugal state, she changed nothing of her former way of life, so that her husband, drawn by this salutary example and filled with admiration for her holiness, was moved of his own accord to imitate the pious exercises he saw her practicing, and consented to live with her in the most perfect continence. God having taken Guthland from this world, Bertille gave herself with new ardor to the practice of good works. All the goods she had inherited from both her husband and her parents, she distributed to various monasteries and colleges of Canons, with the exception of a small property named Marœuil (Pas-de-Ca lais, a Marœuil Place of retreat, foundation, and burial of the saint. rrondissement and canton of Arras), which she later gave to Notre-Dame and the bishop of Arras, retaining only the usufruct. She built at this same place, at her own expense, a basilica in honor of Saint Amand, near which s he had a sm saint Amand Spiritual advisor to Gertrude. all dwelling made for herself that had an entrance into the church, so as to attend more freely to the worship of the heavenly Spouse. She spent several years there in solitude, penance, and above all in the continual exercise of prayer, until one night, having returned to her dwelling after longer prayers, and tired from keeping watch, she was seized by an illness that led her to the tomb.
Retreat and foundation at Marœuil
She distributes her goods, founds a basilica dedicated to Saint Amand at Marœuil, and retires there as a recluse to end her days in prayer.
Her venerable body, buried in the church of Marœuil, rested there for about four hundred years. In 1081, Ge rard II, Gérard II Bishop of Arras and Cambrai who ordered the exhumation of the remains in 1081. Bishop of Arras and Cambrai, yielding to the pious desires of the people and the clergy, delegated abbots to cleanse it of earth. Subsequently, it was transferred several times by episcopal authorization, and in these latter times, peace having been restored to the churches of France, it was happily returned to Marœuil, where it is still today the object of public veneration.
Posterity and veneration of relics
Her remains, exhumed in 1081, were the subject of several translations before returning to Marœuil where they are still venerated.
Propos d'Arras.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Forced marriage to Guthland
- Conjugal life in continence
- Widowhood and distribution of her property to monasteries
- Retirement as a recluse in Marœuil
- Construction of a basilica in honor of Saint Amand
- Elevation of her relics in 1081 by Bishop Gerard II