"Saint Ermelinde (born 510 in Lovenjoel, died 590 in Meldert, Hoegaarden), is a Brabant Saint of the 6th century.
Her parents, rich chatelains, wanted her to marry, but once she refused. Ermelinde "...cut off her hair in order to dissuade her prents from pushing her into an unwanted marriage contract". They permitted her to follow her vocation and gave her a little land. She spread her charity to the poor and lived as a hermit in a forested area, probably around Beauvechain. Later, she set up a hermitage in Meldert and spent the rest of her life in prayer and mortification of the flesh." - (en.wikipedia.org 12.08.2021)
