Maxellende's martyrdom occurred during the Merovingian period, under the episcopate of Vindicien, bishop of Arras and Cambrai.

She resisted the prospective marriage because of her religious commitment, which led Harduin to kill her in 670, and after which he was blinded.

A place of pilgrimage for the blind and partially sighted, the church was raised to the rank of minor basilica by the pontifical brief on September 3, 1991.

[1] Construction began in the 1830s and was finished according to Lille architect Louis Cordonnier's Gothic-style plans (1887-1890).

A plethora of other elements also contributes to the wealth of this sanctuary including: Her feast day is celebrated on November 13, or the following Sunday, according to the traditional date of her murder.