There's not so much to say about Blessed Jutta, whose name apparently means "woman of Judah" or perhaps "woman of Judea." She founded a Cistercian abbey in the thirteenth century and served as it's first abbess for sixteen years. She died in 1250 and was deeply revered by those who served under her leadership.
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| Probably not how it looked. |
If she is distinguished from other beatae at all, it is because she had a remarkable relic. True, there are lots of cool relics out there. That
eyeball is pretty impressive; a vial of
reliquifying blood is an impressive thing. But folks who were sick in the Middle Ages had the option of visiting Heilengenthal, Bavaria and drinking from a golden cup. The special part about the cup? It was fused to the arm of Jutta. She was effectively holding the cup, extending to the faithful to drink. It is communion of the saints on another whole level.
Sadly, the relic was lost at some point. I would like to think that it will turn up in the attic of some German castle someday and returned to an abbey or cathedral where it might be offered to the faithful once again. Creepy, yes, but so friggin' venerable.
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