Ermelinde was a 6th-century Christian hermit from the Brabant region. Born to wealthy parents related to the Pippinids, she rejected an arranged marriage by cutting her hair to signal her religious devotion. After receiving land from her family, she lived a life of charity toward the poor. Following a narrow escape from local lords who attempted to abduct her during night prayers, she relocated to Meldert to establish a hermitage where she focused on prayer until her death.
Life and vocation
After choosing a life of solitude, Ermelinde lived as a hermit, likely in a forested area near Beauvechain. She was known for her charitable actions toward those in need. Following an angelic warning that helped her evade two brothers who sought to kidnap her, she moved to Meldert. There, she spent her remaining years in dedicated prayer and asceticism.
Veneration and traditions
Her memory is honored in several locations, including Lovenjoul, where a spring is associated with her name and believed to heal eye ailments. In Meldert, the local parish church is dedicated to her and houses a reliquary. Devotion there includes a procession on the Tuesday of Pentecost and the presentation of her relics every fifty years. She is also commemorated on October 29.