Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 2.djvu/128

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
116
SS. ODILIA AND GERTRUDE

great reverence, hollowed by her knees. Near this chapel is the tomb where once her body lay, but in 1793 it was destroyed like many other sacred objects. Three lindens which she planted preserved her memory until very recent times, and the grass watered with her tears remained intensely green. Stadler says that her Will and some other writings are still extant. Miss Eckenstein says that the cave, the well, the hill top and other points with which her name is connected had associations dating from pre-christian times. She says there was a nunnery on the Hohenburg in or before the 9th century, but that the legends concerning Odilia's blindness and cure, her father, her relationship to St. Leger, and other circumstances have grown up in later mediæval times, and the worship of a heathen goddess has been transferred to a (perhaps mythical) Christian Saint. St. Obdulia is perhaps Odilia; although she is called a consecrated Virgin at Toledo, it is conjectured that some relic of Odilia has been carried there and her name corrupted into Obdulia.

R.M. AA.SS.O.S.B. Stadler. Cahier. Ott. Guetté, Hist. de l'Église de France. Hungari, Muster Predigter, Vol. xx. "Predigt von P. Dinkel." Eckenstein.

SS. Odilia (4) and Gertrude, Oda (1) and Gertrude.

St. Odilia (5), Nov. 10 (Othilia, Adelaide), V. + 1197. Nun in Germany. Daughter of Henry of Creutzenacht, a soldier. She joined B. Udegeva, a recluse then famous for her sanctity, asceticism and miracles. Odilia imitated and emulated her teacher so well that she also became a saint. Gynecæum. Guérin. Mas Latrie.

B. Odislawa, Zdislawa.

St. Odnata. An Irish saint, perhaps the same as Osnata.

St. Odrada, Nov. 3 (Oldrada, Orada). Perhaps 9th century. She was the child of rich nobles in Brabant and was born at Scheps, near Moll, not far from Gheel. She was beautiful and had many offers of marriage, but resolved to dedicate herself to Christ. Her mother died and, under the influence of a second wife, her father became unkind. One day the whole family went to the memorial service of the dedication of the church of Millegem. Odrada asked for a horse to ride with them. They said she could take one of the unbroken stallions that were running wild in the field. Every one was afraid to go near them, and it was as much as any one's life was worth to catch one. She went boldly into the field, and they all came quietly up and offered themselves to her. She mounted one and quickly overtook her father. He dismounted and prostrated himself at her feet. On the same day she brought a well of healing water out of a sandy plain. Soon she died and, by her own wish, two colts were harnessed to her bier and carried her to the village of Aleym near Bois-le-Duc, where she was buried. She wrought so many miracles that a church was eventually built over the place. AA.SS. Le Mire, Fasti.

St. Oeille is perhaps Eulalia. Cahier.

St. Œolana, Yoland.

St. Oeva, Eva of Avitina.

St. Offa (l), Ulphia.

St. Offa (2). End of 10th or early in 11th century. Recluse near Capua, and afterwards abbess of St. Peter's at Benevento. Her name does not appear in any of the Calendars, but her sanctity is vouched by Pope Victor III. (1086-1087) on the authority of Bella, his great-aunt, who had been a nun in the same convent from early youth to extreme old age and died piously some years before Victor wrote. She was a pupil of St. Offa in her youth, and related many incidents which proved the holiness of the abbess. AA.SS.O.S.B. IX. p. 251.

St. Offange, Euphemia (l).

St. Offrida, Osthrida.

St. Ognie (1), Aneglia.

St. Ognie (2), Mary of Oignies.

St. Ohnkummer or Ohnkummerniss, Wilgefortis.

St. Oilda, Hoylda.

St. Oine, Dec. 25, Eugenia.

St. Olacie, Olaille, Olaire, Eulalia. Saints of these names, when met with in the south of France, generally mean Eulalia of Barcelona.