Saint: Santa Gertrudis la Magna/Saint Gertrude the Great

José Aragón, New Mexico, Active 1820-1835 Gesso, and water-soluble paint on wood 12” x 8 1/2” History Collection NMHM, 2007.32.160

A German Benedictine nun and author of mystical writings often called “Revelations,” Saint Gertrude the Great is often portrayed with a crosier to which a veil is sometimes attached, even though she was not an abbess. Her principal attribute is a flaming heart on her chest o held in her hand, although she may also be portrayed with Christ’s stigmata on her hands, feet, and heart. Although never formally canonized, she was officially recognized as a saint in 1677. She is evoked against heart ailments and epilepsy.