Roman St Catherine Of Siena Figure

THE CHURCH

Prayer of

St. Catherine

of Siena

St Catherine Of Siena

PATRONESS OF ITALY, FIRE PREVENTION AND NURSES (1347-1380)

As the Renaissance was beginning, Catherine was born as the 23rd

child of Jacobo and Lapa Benincasa on March 25, 1347 in

Siena, Italy. A joyful child, Catherine knew by age six that she

wanted to devote her life to serving God. As Katherine grew

older, her parents encouraged her to improve her appearance in order to find

a suitable husband. As Catherine's interest was to serve God, she cut off her

own hair and refused to seek out someone to marry. At age 18, Catherine

joined the Dominicans as a tertiary, or someone who follows the practices of

the sisters but lives outside of a convent. After three years of seclusion, prayer

and fasting, Catherine emerged as a powerful, up-and-coming figure in the church. She had visions of Christ, and which Catherine felt she had a mystical marriage with Christ and He shared his heart with her. Christ told her to help

the sick and poor, and Catherine quickly devoted her time to doing just that, including those affected by the plague.

Catherine learned to read and write later in life, which led to her sending

letters to many prominent people of that time. She wrote the people asking for peace between the republics of Italy, and for the return of the Pope from

Avignon, France to Rome, Italy. After what is known as the "Great Schism"

which lasted from this time until long after Catherine's death, the papacy did

return to Rome. In Catherine's short, 33-year life, she wrote almost 400

letters, counseled two popes, and wrote for major treatises titled The

Dialogue. Through it all, prayer guided and sustained her. On a visit to Pisa,

Catherine was praying when five rays of red light emanated from the crucifix piercing your hands, feet and head. The wounds of the stigmata stayed with

her, but were invisible to others until after her death. Catherine died on April

29th, 1380, it was canonized in 1461. She was named Doctor of the Church

in 1970. St Catherine is the patrons of many things, including Italy, fire protection and nurses.