Saint Grimonia (or Grimonie, Grimony, Germana) was a 4th-century Irish virgin who was martyred in

La Capelle La Capelle is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Its inhabitants are called Capellois (plural Capelloises). Geography La Capelle had a station on the Busigny-Hirson railway line, which operated from 1885 ...

Picardy Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France. Hi ...

, France. The town is named after her chapel. Her feast day is 7 September.

Life

Paul Guérin Paul Guérin (8 March 1830 – 23 June 1908) was a French priest, professor of philosophy, writer and encyclopedist. He was gifted as a compiler, and is best known for being the author of the series '' Les Petits Bollandistes: vie des saints'', w ...

(1830–1908) published the account by Henri Congnet (1795–1870) of Soissons in his ''Les Petits Bollandistes vies des saints de l'Ancien et du Nouveau''. In summary, Grimonia was said to have been the daughter of a pagan chieftain in Ireland. She converted to Christianity when she was aged about 12 and dedicated her life to Christ. When she reached the age to marry, her father wanted her to wed one of the noblest and wealthiest chiefs in Ireland. She ran away, but was brought back and imprisoned. She escaped through a miracle, took ship to France and landed on the coast of Gaul-Belgium where the Roman Emperor

Valentinian I Valentinian I ( la, Valentinianus; 32117 November 375), sometimes called Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor, he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces. Vale ...

protected the Christians. She settled deep in the forest of

Thiérache The Thiérache () is a region of France and Belgium united by similar geography and architecture, including the presence of hedgerows, grassland, hilly terrain, scattered settlements, and traditionally-built stone or brick houses with stone dividi ...

in a place named Dorunum (now

), where she spent her days in prayer, meditation and penance. Her father sent soldiers to find her and bring her back, alive or dead. They followed her traces and eventually found her in the forest. They tried to persuade her to return to her country where a lavish wedding awaited her. Unable to convince her, they cut off her head and hid her mutilated body under a heap of dirt, then returned to Ireland. After several years a chapel was erected over her grave, which became the nucleus of the town of

. The relics were thought to have miraculous properties, and were moved several times in the years that followed, with different portions held in different places.

Monks of Ramsgate account

The monks of

St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate St Augustine's Abbey or Ramsgate Abbey is a former Benedictine abbey in Ramsgate. It was built in 1860 by Augustus Pugin and is a Grade II listed building. It was the first Benedictine monastery to be built in England since the Reformation. In ...

wrote in their ''Book of Saints'' (1921),

Butler's account

The hagiographer

Alban Butler Alban Butler (13 October 171015 May 1773) was an English Roman Catholic priest and hagiographer. Biography Alban Butler was born in 1710, at Appletree, Aston le Walls, Northamptonshire, the second son of Simon Butler, Esq. His father died when ...

(1710–1773) wrote in his ''Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints'' under September 7,

Notes

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grimonia, Saint Female saints of medieval Ireland Medieval Irish saints on the Continent 4th-century deaths