Ronse (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – For the first time, a woman will carry the shrine of St. Hermes during Ronse’s centuries-old Fiertelommegang procession, marking a historic gender milestone.
The recipient of that honor is 25-year-old Camille Roels. During the Fiertel, she will assist in moving the wooden casket containing Hermes’ remains throughout the city.
Ronse‘s patron saint, Hermes, guards against mental illness in the community. The wooden coffin containing his bones is transported across the city each year.
That is roughly a 33-kilometer excursion. For the first time, a woman will assist in carrying the 80-kilogram coffin during the trip.
“It’s a family tradition that I want to continue,”
says Camille, who will be the first female bearer.
“I’ve done the Fiertel every year. The first time I was a few months old and I was in the pram.”
“My grandfather helped carry the shrine for years during the Fiertel. And my father did that for years too. And as a little girl I always dreamed of that, so nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
“I then submitted my candidacy, and it was discussed extensively. And look, here I am. I don’t think gender has anything to do with this. If you are strong enough, it should certainly be possible. I am very much looking forward to it.”
Her candidacy was no surprise to chairman Wim Vandevelde.
“She always said she would be the first woman at the Society of Bearers of Saint-Hermes,”
he says.
“And look, she convinced us.”
“We had to dare to ask ourselves how we deal with today’s society, and how an age-old tradition can survive in a rapidly evolving world. Traditions wither away if there is no openness to accommodate certain social developments. An internal debate has led to new insights and to adjusted criteria for being a candidate as a bearer of Saint Hermes.”
“We’ve practiced 3 times now,”
says Camille.
“And that went well. The shrine weighs 82 kilograms and the carrying sessions take about 10 minutes. Then we take turns. I’m looking forward to seeing the real shrine.”
On Sunday, June 15, the Fiertelommegang in Ronse will be held. The renovation of Saint Hermes’ 16th-century shrine ought to be accomplished by then as well.
Why is the first female bearer of St Hermes’ shrine in Ronse historically significant?
Because it breaches a long-standing tradition in a ceremony that dates back to 1090, when the shrine has traditionally been carried solely by men, the first female carrier of the shrine of St. Hermes during the centuries-old Fiertelommegang in Ronse is historically noteworthy.
This procession honors St. Hermes, a martyr whose relics have been revered in Ronse since the ninth century and whose shrine is linked to healing, particularly from mental illness. It has its roots in medieval pilgrimage customs.
The symbolic inclusion of women in a formerly male-only role is significant because it reflects changing social attitudes and increased gender inclusivity within long-standing religious and cultural traditions.
