25 March 1347 at Siena, Tuscany, Italy
Youngest child in a large family. At the age of seven she had a vision in which Jesus appeared with Peter, Paul, and John; Jesus blessed her, and she consecrated herself to Him. Her parents wanted her to marry, but she became a Dominican tertiary. Mystic. Stigmatist. Received a vision in which she was in a mystical marriage with Christ, and the Infant Christ presented her with a wedding ring. Counselor to Pope Gregory XI and Pope Urban VI. Canonized July 1461 by Pope Pius II.
She died 29 April 1380 of a mysterious and painful illness that came on without notice, and was never properly diagnosed.
Proclaimed Doctor of the Church on 4 October 1970.
From Abbey Roads: "Perhaps if any one of us aspires to be like Catherine, we should first pray for the grace to imitate her penance, her solitude in the cell of self-knowledge, imitating her prayer, which lifted her soul in heroic charity - intense love of God and neighbor.. - then those of us who dare, may try to reform the Church. Remember, perfection lies in union with God through charity... In a way, all I'm saying is that if we think ourselves to be so perfect, the measure we should use is Catherine's charity - love of God and neighbor, as well as her forgetfulness of self - rather than her militancy."
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