Baring-Gould’s sources: German Martyrologies. Venerated at Cologne on Sept. 4, and Nov. 10. Greven, Molanus, Canisius, and the Acta Sanctorum. Authority: — A Life in German, by an anonymous writer of the 14th cent.] The Blessed Irmgard, daughter of the Count of Zutphen in Guelders, leaving her father’s castle, spent her time in a lonely spot at Suchtelen. Thence she visited Cologne, where she collected some of the earth in which the eleven thousand virgins had been laid, and with it made a pilgrimage to Rome. And as she entered the city, all the bells in all the towers rang out joyously as for a festival. Then all men knew that a great saint bearing a holy burden had come to Rome, and she was escorted to the Pope. And she produced the earth and offered it into his hands, and lo ! the earth melted into blood, and ran red over his fingers. In gratitude for this miraculous gift, the Pope presented S. Ida with half the head of one of his predecessors, S. Sylvester, and this she brought back with her to Cologne. Thrice did Ida make a pilgrimage to Rome, and on the third time, she went one day into the basilica of S. Paolo, and there she found a crucifix of the same length, material, and form as that which is erected before the sacristy of S. Peter’s at Cologne. Scarce had she kneeled down, and begun to pray, before these words issued from the mouth of the image: “ My chosen daughter, Irmgard, I beg you, when you go back to Cologne, and enter the metropolitan Church of St. Peter, and see the image like me placed on the altar before the Sacristy, that you will give it my greeting.” S. Irmgard was much astonished at these words, but she replied that she would do so willingly, since she was found worthy to bear the message. And when she had said this, she saw the image loose its hand from the cross, and bless her with it. Then she hasted back to Cologne, and on reaching the cathedral church, she flew to the crucifix before the sacristy, and cried to it, “ O blessed, most holy cross ! Your image in the basilica of S. Paul at Rome ordered me to bear you its kind greeting.” Then the Cologne image bowed its head, and said, “ Thank you, my daughter.”

And when what Irmgard had heard was noised abroad, the clergy of the church bored a hole in the head that had nodded, put into the hole a sacred Host, and closed it up S. Rosalia.

again; and thenceforth the image was regarded as miraculous, and attracted crowds of the faithful. Irmgard made her will, and left to the churches of S. Peter and S. Pantaleon at Cologne all her lands, the Castle of Aspel, and the estate of Suchtelen. She built a hospital at Hachtforch, and entering into it died on one of its pallets prepared for the poor.

Herman, her brother, was Abbot of S. Pantaleon, and died in 1120. Irmgard probably died earlier, at the end of die nth cent, or the beginning of the 12th,