Saint Catherine of Siena
St Catherine was one of twenty-five children born to a prosperous dyer in Siena. As a child, she was very religious and when she was six, had a vision of Christ. Her parents wanted Catherine to marry, but she was determined to join an order of sisters called the Mantellatae who, although bound by vows, lived at home rather than in a religious community.
Catherine fasted frequently and led a life of extreme mortification, spending much time in prayer and contemplation. At one time she was greatly troubled by impure thoughts and images, but soon afterwards she saw Jesus on the Cross and he spoke to her. On the strength of his words, Catherine lived as a recluse in a single room. But after three years, an inner voice told her that she must go into the world, which she did and devoted herself to tending the sick and other good works. She was indefatigable during a time of plague and worked many miracles of healing. During the plague of 1374, she heard that the director of the hospital had contracted the disease and that his condition was critical. Catherine walked into his sick room and addressed him cheerfully, upon which he ate a meal, got up and was cured. At first many people were jealous of Catherine and slanderous stories were spread about her. She was unmoved by these expressions of ingratitude. At about this time, she is said to have had a vision of Christ holding a crown of gold in one hand and a crown of thorns in the other. He asked her which she would choose and, without hesitating, she chose the crown of thorns. Although busily occupied in the world, Catherine was a mystic. She continued to spend many hours in prayer and contemplation and was sometimes lost in a state of ecstasy.
Impressive as her cures of the body were, she was even more successful with the soul. Sinners of every kind, apparently impervious to all other influences, yielded to her. Few could resist in her presence. Once, two worldly friars tried to shame her by asking difficult theological questions. She answered discreetly and modestly and accused them of seeking not truth but praise and glory in the eyes of men. From that moment, the lives of these men were changed. Catherine was also known as a peacemaker and was often called on to mediate in trade disputes, domestic quarrels and family feuds. Her influence spread far beyond Siena and much of her correspondence survives. Pope Gregory XI, then at Avignon, used her as his intermediary and, in return, she did not hesitate to give the pope the benefit of her advice. She visited him in Avignon with the pur-pose of persuading him to return to Rome. The cardinals were against her, and Gregory feared assassination. But Catherine prevailed. Then, as her life was at risk, she went to Florence, which was engaged in a civil war. She succeeded in bringing peace and reconciling the city to the pope. Towards the end of her life, Catherine attempted to promote the cause of Pope Urban VI and to recall him to better ways. She was pious to the end and was praying when she died. Among her emblems in art are the cross, the lily (the symbol of purity), a book (in allusion to her writings), the rosary, and the marks of the stigmata. Her feast day is 29 April. (Dictionary of Saints) Photo from Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan, 2025.
Photo of The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine from the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan, 2025.