A Dictionary of Saintly Women/Adelaide (4)
St. Adelaide (4), Feb. 5 (Ada, Alice), V. of Willich. c. 1015. Daughter of SS. Mengo or Megengoz and Gerberg, count and countess of Gueldres. Abbess of the Benedictine monastery at Willich, near Bonn, and afterwards of that of Our Lady of the Capitol at Cologne. She was educated in a cloister, and was a pious, sensible, and studious girl. Her parents, having lost a much-loved son in battle, determined to dedicate a large portion of their wealth to the service of God. They accordingly built and richly endowed a monastery at Willich. Adelaide was appointed abbess of the new house, but before entering on this important charge she went to learn the regular observance in the monastery of Notre Dame du Capitole at Cologne. She ruled the house at Willich for several years, and was distinguished for her charity, humility, and self-denial. Her mother, Gerberg, became a nun under her, and died at Willich; her father, B. Mengo, lived three years longer, and Adelaide buried him at Willich beside her mother. His day is Dec. 19. Her sister Bertrade was abbess of Notre Dame at Cologne. The fame of Adelaide's sanctity spread over the whole diocese, so that, on the death of Bertrade, the bishop invited Adelaide to be her successor. She removed to Cologne, and spent the remaining three years of her life there, still, however, maintaining constant intercourse with and a motherly interest in her Willich. She is said to have wrought many miracles both before and after her death. She procured by her prayers an abundant and unfailing spring of water in a place near Willich, where the peasants were in great distress for want of it. One of her nuns had so harsh a voice that she destroyed the harmony of the choir when she joined in the hymns; but Adelaide struck her on the cheek, and she became permanently possessed of a voice so sweet and powerful as to be a great acquisition to the musical services of the community. Certain nuns were long too ill to join in the common employments of the rest, but when she rebuked them as useless and expensive, they at once recovered. She died at Cologne about 1015, and the nuns of Willich wished to have her buried amongst them; but St. Heribert, the bishop, said he would not give up the body of the holy abbess on any account, not even if they could give him the body of St. Agatha for it. Adelaide, however, showed her preference for her first monastery, for her coffin floated up the Rhine without oars to Willich, and there she was buried. AA.SS. Helyot, Ordres Monastiques, v. 53. Bucelinus, Men. Ben.