Saint Pharaildis

Her parents married her against her will. But Pharaïlde, persevering with energy in her resolution to keep chastity, preserved her virginity throughout the entire time of her marriage, by a special benefit of God and by the same all-powerful grace of the Holy Spirit that had once made the glory of Saint Cecilia, and which later made that of Saint Henry, emperor, and his spouse. However, she neglected nothing to give all her love to Jesus Christ. She spent all her goods in alms, and macerated her body through fasting and prayer. Finally, venerable for her religion and her virtue, the Virgin, aged 90, emigrated from this world toward the immortal spouse whom she had preferred to the mortal spouse.

Agelfride, Bishop of Liège, returning from Rome, transported the body of this Saint from Lorraine to the monastery of Saint-Bavon in the year 761. Subsequently, the relig ious Gand City where Livinus stayed and of which he is the patron saint. of Ghent, fearing the fury of the Normans, wandered to various places, carrying with them the relics of Saint Bavon, Saint Pharaïlde, and other Saints. Then, the storm having passed, they brought these precious remains back to Ghent, to the church of Château-Neuf, located on the banks of the Lys river; later, around the year 939, they were moved to the chapel of Saint Pharaïlde. Later still, a portion of the relics of our Saint was transferred to a church dedicated to her in Bruay Bruay Site of a spring miracle and pilgrimage. , near Valenciennes, in the diocese of Cambrai. Tradition reports that in the village of Bruay, Saint Pharaïlde caused an abundant spring to gush forth with a strike of her spindle; this fountain emerges from the slope of a hill, and its waters have the virtue of healing children afflicted with wasting diseases. Thus, every Friday, one sees in the Saint's chapel, at the church of Bruay, pilgrims who implore their patroness for the healing of their children. There is also, in this parish, an ancient confraternity erected in honor of Saint Pharaïlde, which has been followed at all times with piety by the faithful of the village and the neighboring lands.

The attributes given to Saint Pharaildis are: 1° a goose or a stork that she carries in her arms; 2° loaves of bread turned into stone. Here is how, according to various Flemish authors analyzed by Father Cahier, the legend has interpreted these depictions. — Saint Pharaildis is said to have had a flock of wild geese or storks that were devastating the countryside driven to her farm, and to have ordered them to be fed like domestic birds. It is from the bird that characterizes its patroness that the city of Ghent is said to have taken its name; for Ghent in Flemish and German, ganta in Low Latin, gante in Old French, all designate the goose or the stork. — With a little goodwill, one could also find Saint Pharaildis's goose in the name of another Flemish locality — Steenockerzee l — where ther Steenockerzeel Flemish locality associated with a pilgrimage. e was a pilgrimage in her honor. In this case, this name would have two elements that would relate to our Saint: the syllable ock, which would be the same as the old French word auque, the Italian occa, the oqué of Gascony, the aucha of Low Latin, and the oue or oie of semi-modern and modern French. As for the syllable stein of the Flemish name, it would recall the stone loaves that also serve to characterize Saint Pharaildis. It is told in Flanders that around the 16th century, a poor sick woman asked her sister for a loaf of bread for her child. The latter had the hardness to refuse, saying: 'If I have bread in my house, I wish for it to turn into stones.' This imprudent wish was granted, and the rich miser died of hunger in front of loaves turned into pebbles. It is claimed that Saint Pharaildis had taken the form of this poor woman to test her wicked sister. Be that as it may, Saint Pharaildis's stone loaves are still shown in Ghent.

The patroness of Ghent is invoked for the healing of sick children, the prompt making and preservation of butter, and also for the health of livestock. Bulloud, volume IV of January, page 170.