- Ida of Lorraine
Ida of Lorraine (also referred to as Blessed Ida of Boulogne)cite book |last=Butler |first=Alban |authorlink=Alban Butler |coauthors=Paul Burns |title=Butler's Lives of the Saints |year=2000 |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |pages=p. 94 |isbn=0860122530 ] (c. 1040 –
13 Apr 1113 )cite book |last=Holböck |first=Ferdinand |authorlink=Ferdinand Holböck |coauthors= |title=Married Saints and Blesseds |year=2002 |publisher=Ignatius Press |pages=p. 147 |isbn=0898708435 ] was a saint and noblewoman.She was born in Bouillon, Ardenne, South Belgium, the daughter of
Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine and his wife, Doda.cite book |last=Butler |first=Alban |authorlink=Alban Butler |coauthors=Paul Burns |title=Butler's Lives of the Saints |year=2000 |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |pages=p.93 |isbn=0860122530 ] .Family
In 1057, she married
Eustace II of Boulogne . They had three sons:*
Eustace III , the nextCount of Boulogne
*Godfrey of Bouillon , first ruler ofKingdom of Jerusalem
*Baldwin, second ruler ofKingdom of Jerusalem Ida shunned the use of a wet-nurse in raising her sons. Instead, she breast-fed them to insure that they were not contaminated by the wet-nurse's morals.cite book | last =Tanner | first =Heather | authorlink =Heather J. Tanner | title =Families, Friends, and Allies: Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England c. 879-1160 | publisher =BRILL | date =2004 | location =Boulogne-sur-Mer (France) | pages =p. 262 | isbn =9004132430 ] When her sons went on the
First Crusade , Ida contributed heavily to their expenses.cite book | last =Tanner | first =Heather | authorlink =Heather J. Tanner | title =Families, Friends, and Allies: Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England c. 879-1160 | publisher =BRILL | date =2004 | location =Boulogne-sur-Mer (France) | pages =p. 135 | isbn =9004132430 ]Life
Ida was always religiously and charitably active, but the death of her husband provided her wealth and the freedom to use it for her projects. She founded several monasteries:
*Saint-Wulmer in Boulognecite book |last=Holböck |first=Ferdinand |authorlink=Ferdinand Holböck |coauthors= |title=Married Saints and Blesseds |year=2002 |publisher=Ignatius Press |pages=p. 148 |isbn=0898708435 ]
*Our Lady of the Chapel, Calais
*Saint-Bertin
*Abbey of Cappelle cite book | last =Tanner | first =Heather | authorlink =Heather J. Tanner | title =Families, Friends, and Allies: Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England c. 879-1160 | publisher =BRILL | date =2004 | location =Boulogne-sur-Mer (France) | pages =p. 140 | isbn =9004132430 ]
*Abbey of Le WastShe maintained a correspondence with
Anselm of Canterbury . Some of Anselm’s letters to Ida have survived.cite book | last =Tanner | first =Heather | authorlink =Heather J. Tanner | title =Families, Friends, and Allies: Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England c. 879-1160 | publisher =BRILL | date =2004 | location =Boulogne-sur-Mer (France) | pages =p. 123, footnote | isbn =9004132430 ] [cite journal | last = Vaughn | first = Sally N. | authorlink =Sally N. Vaughn | title=St. Anselm and Women | journal=Haskins Society Journal | date =1990 |pages=86 | volume=2 | isbn =1852850590 ]She became increasingly involved in church life. However, current scholarship feels that she did not actually become a Benedictine Nun, but that she was a “Secular Oblate of the Benedictine Order”.
Death and burial
Ida died on 13 April 1113, which is the date she is honoured. Traditionally, her burial place has been ascribed to the Monastery of Saint Vaast . However, one author believes that the original burial place was the Monastery of Vast. Her remains were moved in 1669 to
Paris and again in 1808 toBayeux .Her life story was written by contemporary monk of Saint Vaast Abbey.
References
ources
*cite book |last=Butler |first=Alban |authorlink=Alban Butler |coauthors=Paul Burns |title=Butler's Lives of the Saints |year=2000 |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |location= |isbn=0860122530
*cite book |last=Holböck |first=Ferdinand |authorlink=Ferdinand Holböck |coauthors= |title=Married Saints and Blesseds |year=2002 |publisher=Ignatius Press |location= |isbn=0898708435
*cite book | last =Tanner | first =Heather | authorlink =Heather J. Tanner | title =Families, Friends, and Allies: Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England c. 879-1160 | publisher =BRILL | date =2004 | location =Boulogne-sur-Mer (France)
isbn =9004132430
*cite journal | last = Vaughn | first = Sally N. | authorlink =Sally N. Vaughn | title=St. Anselm and Women | journal=Haskins Society Journal | date =1990 |pages=83–94 | volume=2 | isbn =1852850590
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