Born into the nobility of Hainaut, Saint Aye lived in virginal chastity with her husband Saint Hidulphus. After retiring to the monastery of Mons, she was honored for her piety and a posthumous miracle in which she confirmed her donations to the Church from her tomb. She has since been invoked by those suffering from unjust lawsuits.
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SAINT AYE AND SAINT HIDULPHUS (7th century).
Genealogy and noble origins
Saint Aye came from the high nobility of Hainaut, related to Saint Waltrude and Saint Aldegund, and descended from the kings of France through the line of Walbert.
The father of Saint Waltrude, who is known in the histories of Hainaut by the name of Walbert IV, had a younger brother by the name of Brunulphe, Count of Ardennes, who gave bir th to Sain sainte Aye 7th-century saint, wife of Saint Hidulph, honored in Mons. t Aye. Furthermore, it can be seen from the examination of this genealogy, more developed in certain historians of Hainaut and Lorraine, that Walbert III, father of this Walbert IV who had as daughters Saint Waltrude and Saint Aldegund, himself had as a brother a Count Brunulphe, who gave birth to the spouse of Saint Aye. These two venerable figures were therefore united to each other by the bonds of a fairly close kinship, as well as with Saint Waltrude and her family. "One sees clearly," says the historian of Saint Aye, "how they were first cousins and animated by the same blood of the kings of France on the side of Walbert II."
A virginal marriage
Married to Saint Hidulphus, Aye leads a life of piety and charity with him, both spouses having taken a vow of perpetual chastity within their union.
Saint Hidulphu Saint Hidulphe Bishop of Trier and intimate friend of Saint Deodatus. s and Saint Aye, after having spent their youth in perfect innocence and in the practice of the most touching virtues, mutually pledged their faith at the foot of the altars, at the same time as they gave it to Jesus Christ, the Spouse of virgin souls. This alliance, sanctified by all kinds of good works, renewed, in the astonished eyes of the inhabitants of Hainaut, the admirable examples already given there by Saint Walbert, Saint Bertille, and their worthy children. As if God had wished to offer in their person an example of the strength and power of His grace, He permitted that, within the bonds of marriage, they lived their whole lives in virginal c hastity, regarding chasteté virginale Central hagiographical concept explaining the title of virgin for a married woman. one another as consecrated to God. The details of the holy works performed by these two virtuous spouses are not known; but everything about them reminds us of those families of the predestined who contributed so much to spreading evangelical ideas and Christian customs in the happy regions of the North. Saint Hidulphus and Saint Aye, whom no temporal interest preoccupied, must have worked with success on this holy work, and their merits, too little known, make them well worthy of our homage and our respect. Here are, as far as the scarcity of documents allows us to specify, the few facts of their life reported by the authors.
The work of Saint Hidulph
Saint Hidulph actively supported the monastic foundations of Saint Waltrude and Saint Landelin, before retiring to the Abbey of Lobbes.
Saint Hidulph, after his kinsman Saint Mauger had gone to found the monastery of Hautmont, appears to have been of great assistance to Saint Waltrude, who was preparing to follow the example of her husband. It was to him that she turned for the construction of the humble dwelling where she wished to retire at Château-Lieu (Mons). Later, Saint Hidulph also rendered important services to Saint Landelin, when this penitent disciple of Saint Aubert built successively the four monasteries of Lobbes, Aine, Walers, and Crespin. Folcuin, in his chronicle of the Abbey of Lobbes, reports that Saint Hidulph made representations to Pepin of Herstal to obtain that Saint Ursmar, whose eminent virtue was well known to him, be placed at the head of this community.
He hims elf reti Lui-même Bishop of Trier and intimate friend of Saint Deodatus. red y Monastery where Ermin was a monk and later abbot. there later, to complete, in prayer and meditation on the things of heaven, a life already so full of good works. It was there that he fell asleep peacefully in the peace of the Lord, in the year 707, on the 23rd of the month of June. His relics, like those of the other Saints of this monastery, were transported to the city of Binche on April 4, 1409, because of the wars that threatened the country. They have remained there ever since; and, each year, they were carried with great solemnity in a magnificent procession, which took place at the beginning of the month of July.
Some authors have erroneously given Saint Hidulph the title of bishop. They appear to have confused him with Saint Theodulph, who was the second abbot of the monastery of Lobbes, after Saint Ursmar.
Retirement to Mons and passing
After the departure of her husband, Aye retired to the monastery of Mons near Saint Waltrude, where she died around 707, the same year as her husband.
At the moment when Saint Hidulphus retired to the monastery of Lobbes, his virtuous companion also went, on her side, to end her days in the pious community of Château-Lieu (Mons), near her relative Sain t Waltrude, w sainte Vaudru Daughter of Walbert and Bertille. hose happiness she had long envied. After having participated in all the good works of her husband, and having vied holily with him in the practice of Christian virtues, she also received from God, in her final years, a reward that was but a foretaste of that which was reserved for them in heaven. Authors believe that the death of Saint Aye occurred in the same year as that of Saint Hidulphus. Reported healings and other benefits, obtained at her tomb, have always inspired in the people a great confidence in her protection.
Cult and ecclesiastical recognition
The cult of Saint Aye developed in Mons and in the diocese of Cambrai, marked by translations of relics and the approval of liturgical offices from the 14th to the 17th century.
The name of Saint Aye is found in the ancient litanies of the church of Sainte-Vaudru in Mons, where she is honored with a particular cult. Her relics were visited by François Buisseret, Archbishop of Cambrai. In 1625, Mgr Van der Burgh, also Archbishop of Cambrai, approved and made mandatory for his entire diocese a proper office for this Saint, which had been examined and approved by the doctors of theology of the University of Douai. Already, in the year 1617, this prelate had transferred the precious remains of the Saint into a new reliquary. It is also found in the oldest authors that, in the year 1314, Pierre de Mirepoix, bishop of the same see, had approved a semi-double office of Saint Aye, whose name was preciously preserved in the memory of the religious populations of Hainaut. The ordinance by which the prelate established this feast is found on page 270 of the work of the Reverend Father Coret. It is dated June 6, 1314. The solemn feast of Saint Aye was celebrated in Mons on April 18 . He Mons Site of John's first monastic retreat. r relics, exposed on this day, attracted a large gathering of pious pilgrims. In the procession that took place through the streets of the city on Trinity Sunday, they were carried triumphantly on an ornate chariot, which was immediately preceded by another chariot on which were placed the venerable remains of Saint Vaudru.
Patroness of lawsuits and posthumous miracle
Invoked for judicial disputes, Saint Aye is said to have miraculously spoken from her tomb to confirm a donation of property to the Church that was contested by her family.
There were also, in Antwerp, rel ics of Saint Aye in a reliques de sainte Aye Remains of the saint preserved in Mons and Antwerp. chapel dedicated to her, where those who were pursued in unjust lawsuits often came to pray. She was likewise invoked in Brussels on similar occasions. Striking events have several times signaled the power of her protection, and authors cite some of the more remarkable ones that occurred during the year 1673. The origin of this devotion of litigants toward Saint Aye is as follows. It is said that, after her death, disputes arose regarding the property she had given to the church of Mons, in Hainaut, property claimed by her relatives. These disagreements had lasted for a long time and no end was in sight, when one day, being able to make herself heard by both parties, Aye declared, from the depths of her tomb, that she had legally given the property in question to the church of Sainte-Vaudru, and that, at that moment, she confirmed and sanctioned this donation. From then on, all dispute ceased.
Virginity in marriage
Although married, the hagiographic and liturgical tradition attributes to her the title of virgin due to the perfect chastity practiced with her husband.
Saint Aye is generally g iven the t sainte Aye 7th-century saint, wife of Saint Hidulph, honored in Mons. itle of virgin, and it is under this name that she was invoked in the prayer of the proper of Mons: Jacques Coret, in the life of the Saint, cites eight writers, among others the author of the Annales de Lobbes, Molanos, Arnould, Wien, Le Mire, who assert that she lived with her husband i n perfect chastit chasteté parfaite Central hagiographical concept explaining the title of virgin for a married woman. y, following the example of some other Saints, and to conform to the pious desires that heaven had mutually inspired in them.
Vies des Saints de Cambrai et d'Arras, by M. l'abbé Dastombes.
Annexes & related entities
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