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Patron of cats and cat lovers, travelers, gardeners, and widows

As a young girl, Gertrude helped her mother to start a monastery in Nivelles, Belgium. She became a nun and was known for her hospitality to all travelers. She was also known for her kindness to the many cats and mice that lived at the monastery. It was said that the little mice were like the souls in Purgatory, for whom Gertrude regularly prayed. Today, little silver or gold mice are left at St. Gertrude’s shrine in Cologne, Germany.