Beatrix van Lens was a Cistercian nun born in Lens around 1101. As the daughter of a local lord, she used her parental dowry to purchase a secluded, wooded area near Mons. In 1216, she established the Épinlieu Abbey on this land to honor the Virgin Mary. She lived there alongside a small group of women who had also renounced worldly life, following the religious training provided by the nun Raimburge.
Life and foundation
After acquiring the site known as Spinlieu, Beatrix oversaw the construction of a church and cloister. Her efforts to create this religious community received support from the countess of Hainaut and the castellan of Mons. Following the foundation, local lords such as Gautier V of Lens provided perpetual alms to support the abbey's continued existence.
Veneration
Beatrix is recognized as a blessed. Cistercian records, including those by Henricus, note her commemoration on January 19. Although she is listed among the blessed, some historical menologies have categorized her differently in their records.