If you have ever prayed for the souls in purgatory, you very well may have said St. Gertrude’s Prayer for them. Gertrude was a German Benedictine nun, theologian and mystic, and is the only Catholic female saint to be known under the title, “The Great.” In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI said this of Gertrude: “She is one of the most famous mystics, the only German woman to be called ‘Great,’ because of her cultural and evangelical stature: her life and her thought had a unique impact on Christian spirituality.”

Little is known about the early life of this remarkable woman. She joined a monastic community at the age of 10 after presumably being orphaned at a young age. There she received education and religious formation. Beginning at the age of 24, Gertrude experienced visions that continued throughout her life, shifting her priorities from this world to God as she devoted herself to studying Scripture and theology and cultivating a strong prayer life. She was particularly devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and became one of the most important mystics of the 13th century. She also held great sympathy for the souls in purgatory. In a vision, Christ gave St. Gertrude a prayer for the poor souls in purgatory, which she prayed often.

Although St. Gertrude wrote extensively, only a few of her writings survive today, including The Herald of Divine Love, Gertrudian Prayers and her collection of Spiritual Exercises. She is the patron saint of numerous parishes and schools, and is the inspiration behind the Benedictine Monastery of St. Gertrude in Idaho.

Prayer of St. Gertrude

Eternal Father, I offer you the Most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my community, my home and within my family. Amen.