Agnès d’ORCHIES (13th)

“In 1255, King Louis IX of France (Saint Louis) visited the court beguinage St. Elizabeth in Ghent. Impressed with what he witnessed, the king established the court beguinage St. Catherine in Paris around 1260. Its first grand mistress was Agnès d’Orchies from Flanderen” (Source : Laura Swan, The winsdom of the beguines, p.32)

At first she was beguine in Douai. She was so literate and  outstanding preacher that her sermons were used to instruct preachers at the Sorbonne.