Here are on Shaw, we have always prided ourselves that we never saw a rat- field mice yes and they freely roam, never doing much damage, but rats??? Never, until this year and they seem to have invaded our small paradise, especially in the chicken feed shed! We have set out traps but they seem to be too wily for our schemes. So I am praying to ST. GERTRUDE of NIVELLES a 7th centuryBenedictineAbbess who lived in present day Belgium
St. Gertrude of Nivelles was born around 626 in present-day Belgium
When her father died, Gertrude and her mother, Itta, moved to Nivelles to set up a monastery, where she became an abbess. She became known for her devotion to scholarly and charitable works, and for taking care of orphans, widows, and pilgrims. She was also visited by spiritual visions and was said to know most of the Bible by heart. But her ascetic lifestyle, which included long periods without food or sleep, took a toll on her health, and she resigned as abbess at the age of 30. She died three years later, and St. Patrick himself is said to have watched over her on her deathbed.
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Her feast is March 17 also the feast day of St. Patrick, who seems to have overtaken her in popularity. St Gertrude is also the patron saint of cats, but I am not praying for cats at this point. We have several, and all but one seem to have lost their appetite for rodents.