St. Gerlach as a centre of popular devotion

In 1599 and in 1606 Henricus Costerius, deacon of Bergen op Zoom, donated relics to the monastery. In the year 1599 the Gerlach well was recovered by the steward of the monastery. Urged by the discovery of this well, Bishop Cuyckius of Roermond came to visit that same year  to promote devotion to St. Gerlach. He urged everyone in Valkenburg to take up the veneration of St. Gerlach, and he himself consecrated the well, which was rebuilt to further encourage devotion. In 1615 Archduke Albert of Austria took the monastery "into protection," making St. Gerlach the spearhead of the Counter-Reformation in the Land of Valkenburg in the ^17th and ^18th centuries.

With the rebuilding of the monastery complex in the ^18th century after fires and destruction during the Revolt of the 80-year war (1568-1648) and other wars, pilgrimages also began to regain momentum. A new edition of the life of St. Gerlach was published in the year 1745. During pilgrimages to St. Gerlach, pilgrims visited both the monastery church and the spring (well) of St. Gerlach. Prayer cards of St. Gerlach at the well or in his tree were issued for the pilgrims. Furthermore, the dust from his tomb was used for healing cattle. The sand under the tomb was used for the protection of animals and for crops, a devotion that continues to this day. Pilgrims reached St. Gerlach's tomb through a special gate in the wall surrounding St. Gerlach and through a special door in the monastery church. See the ^18th-century pilgrims' banner for this:

Erasmus Ghoye, who was provost of St. Gerlach from 1575-1612, published a biography of St. Gerlach, the"Divi Gerlaci Sanctissimi Eremitae vita," in 1600. For this he used the Vita beati Gerlaci, the description that had already been produced around 1225. In the year 1604 Bishop Cuyckius of Roermond included a special office for St. Gerlach in the Roermond breviary, so that Gerlach's feast day has been commemorated in January not only in St. Gerlach but throughout the diocese ever since. In 1660 Gerlach was proclaimed by the bishop as the patron of the land of Valkenburg. 

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Above: image of St. Gerlach at the well next to the title page of 'Het leven van den H. Gerlacus eremyt', by C. Thilmans, 1745. With a dedication to Prioress Maria de Petersem de Printhagen of St. Gerlach. 

Bishop Cuyckius had a good eye for it. Pilgrimage sites were gaining in popularity. St. Gerlach attracted more and more pilgrims, allowing for the restoration of the monastery after the horrors of the burning armies. Many new pilgrimage sites dedicated to Mary were also founded, including Scherpenheuvel and Kevelaer, which were visited by processions from the rolling hills in Southern Limburg. In the ^17th and ^18th centuries, the rolling hills were sanctified with chapels, statue groups and wayside crosses and thus became a centre of popular devotion.