Blessed Yvette of Huy is our feature saint for the letter 'Y.' Yvette was born in 1158 to a wealthy family in Huy, Belgium. From an early age she tried to live the life of a religious from her home. However, when she was 13, she was forced into an arranged marriage. She had three children, one who died in infancy, and was then widowed at the age of 18.
Yvette was an uncommon beauty and had plenty of suitors, but she chose to retire to a leper derelict hospital to tend to the inmates and more closely follow her religious calling. She left her two sons in the care of their grandfather. Ten years later she became an anchoress and was enclosed in a chapel cell near the colony. An Anchoress (or anchorite) is someone who, for religious reasons, opts to withdraw from secular society to lead a life focused on prayer. Unlike hermits, they take a vow of stability and are subject to a religious rite of consecration that often resembles a funeral rite.
From her cell, Yvette offered guidance to pilgrims who considered her a prophetess. She summoned priests and the dean of the local church to her presence to confront them about their behavior. Her power threatened the male clergy and cannons and she was denounced. However, she brought her father and one of her sons to conversion before her death in 1228.
Bl. Yvette's feast day is January 13. Her patronages include brides, widows and large families (?? - 3 kids is not a large family).
No comments:
Post a Comment