St. Gertrude, the Patron Saint of Cats, and My Long-Suffering Emotional Support Overlord

Honoring the True Queen of March 17 — Felines, Faith, and Quiet Judgment

My long-suffering emotional support overlord, Binx, basking in his rightful place of honor. If St. Gertrude had a modern-day shrine, it would probably look like this — complete with a void creature judging all who dare disturb his peace. 🐈‍⬛✨ #StGertrudesDay #CatsRule #EmotionalSupportOverlord

It started, as many great revelations do, with a meme. A friend — fellow cat parent, chronic enabler of my feline obsession — sent me an image of a saintly nun clutching a cat, captioned with a lament about St. Patrick stealing the limelight every 17 March. My friend’s message simply read: “Our day has come.”

And truly, what a travesty it is that the world, in its Guinness-soaked revelry, forgets that this day belongs not only to the “” but also to the patron saint of whiskered, judgmental overlords.

Naturally, I took it upon myself to investigate this overlooked queen of cat lovers, and in the process, I found my new spiritual leader: St. Gertrude of Nivelles.

Every year, without fail, 17 March arrives in a cacophony of green-clad revelers, unsolicited pinch threats, and questionable Irish accents. St. Patrick gets a parade. He gets fountains dyed emerald. He gets boozy, sentimental toasts in his honor.

And what does St. Gertrude of Nivelles, and perhaps the lingering side-eye of neglected introverts, get? A meme. A knowing sigh from cat people. Maybe a solemn head nod from the…