St. Catherine of Siena

(1347–1380)

April 29

Stephen turned around to see what his six-year-old sister, Catherine, had stopped for. Always happy and curious, she sometimes forgot her mother’s directions to come straight home from her older sister’s house. “Catherine!” Stephen shouted. He frowned as he saw her staring up at the sky. Looking up himself and seeing nothing, he thought she was playing a joke on him. But he had to get home and finish his chores! He ran back to her and grabbed her arm playfully. Catherine suddenly jumped and pulled away from Stephen.

“Why did you do that?” she demanded. “I was seeing the most beautiful thing! Jesus was there, and he was reaching out to take my hand!”

Stephen looked at his sister. What a wild story, he thought. But Catherine was too serious to be making it up. Later that night, Mrs. Benincasa, Catherine’s mother, noticed that Catherine took an extra-long time to say her night prayers. In fact, after that day it seemed as though praying was the only thing that interested her. She still played with her friends, but there was nothing she liked more than praying or learning about Jesus and the saints. By the time she was twelve, Catherine had told everyone—her parents and her many brothers and sisters—that she never wanted to marry. She wanted to be a nun.

Catherine’s father was very upset. Catherine was beautiful, and he could see no reason why she should go to the convent. To encourage her to forget her dream, her parents held many parties at their house. They invited many young men to come and visit their youngest daughter. Finally, Catherine couldn’t take it any longer. Not knowing how else to convince her father that she was serious, Catherine had all her beautiful long, brown hair cut off. Since no women in the town of Siena had short hair except the nuns, her parents were horrified. At last they gave in—but they would only allow sixteen-year-old Catherine to be a Third Order Dominican. That meant that she could make the promises to live poorly, never to marry, and to be obedient to their bishop, but she would stay at home instead of going away to the convent. The Third Order Dominicans were also permitted to wear the white and black religious habit of the community. Catherine was eighteen when she received the habit.

Catherine spent most of her time in a little room at the family’s big house. Her father gave her part of the family’s income to give to the poor people she met on the way to church. During this time, Catherine learned how to read. But she spent much of her time praying and thinking about the sermons she heard at church.

When she was twenty-one, Catherine had another vision of Jesus. This time she saw him with his mother, Mary. Together, they placed a ring on her finger, just like a wedding band. It was a beautiful experience, and Catherine knew that now she belonged entirely to Jesus forever. Jesus also told her that instead of staying in her parents’ home, he wanted her to go out and help others know how much he loved them.

Immediately, Catherine started to join some of the other Third Order Dominicans in Siena to care for the sick in the hospitals. Many people were in the hospital because they were dying and had no money or families to take care of them. Catherine became well known for choosing the sickest and poorest patients. She especially liked to care for people who were going to die soon. She talked to them about God’s love for them and about heaven. She also went to visit prisoners, including men who had been condemned to death. Some of these men were real criminals, but others were innocent people who had been unjustly accused. She talked to all of them, no matter what they had done or how much they were suffering.

One young man from another city had gotten into a fight while in Siena and had been put in jail. The judge had condemned him to die. The young man was angry and bitter at this unfair sentence, and felt that God had abandoned him. Catherine spent long hours talking to him and praying with him. She tried to convince the judge that this man shouldn’t die, but the judge wouldn’t listen. Finally the young man realized that no matter how mean or unjust human beings might be toward one another, God is always merciful and just. He listened as Catherine explained how Jesus, too, had been condemned unjustly and had accepted crucifixion in order to free us from our sins. The young man began to pray with Catherine and even looked forward to being in heaven with Jesus, where there would be no more suffering. On the day he died, Catherine was right there beside him.

Even though Catherine had not gone to school, she was very wise. She was good at settling arguments between people and even wars between cities. Soon, business people, mayors, and bishops were calling Catherine to help them settle their disagreements. In this way, more and more people came to know her. Always a friendly person, Catherine formed many close friendships. In fact, a whole group of people began to spend time with her, helping her to write her many letters. They also wrote down the things she said about God and prayer. But often Catherine didn’t feel very successful in her work. And for a long time she felt that God was far away from her. She kept praying, but it didn’t seem as if anyone was listening. She was even tempted to give up her life as a Third Order Dominican!

One day, as Catherine was alone in the chapel, she had an overwhelming sense of God’s presence. She cried out to him, “Where have you been, Lord? I’ve been having terrible thoughts and feelings!”

And then she heard God answer. “Catherine, I have been in your heart all this time. It was I who gave you the courage and strength to keep going each day!”

Suddenly Catherine understood. God is not to be confused with good feelings or success. God is always present with each person, always helping in every situation. But in order to keep close to God and remain aware of his divine presence, we must make a quiet place in our hearts for God—a place where we can stop at anytime to talk to him and love him. Catherine told many of her friends about this experience. They were happy to listen to her, because many of them were busy working and caring for their families. They didn’t have much time to go to church and pray. They began to take a few minutes of quiet time each day just to speak heart-to-heart with God and to think about his great love for them.

Catherine also knew that in order to keep that quiet place for God, a person has to live a good life. That means being honest in business deals, being faithful to one’s husband or wife, treating others justly—in other words, to know God within them, people have to try to act like Jesus. Many of the people who listened to Catherine understood this. They desired so strongly to know God that they went to confession and returned to Mass, desiring to do their best to live as good Christians.

Catherine’s reputation finally reached Pope Gregory XI, who was having a very difficult time leading the Church. Some of his difficulties were his own fault. Instead of remaining in Rome and taking care of the affairs of the whole Church, he had spent several years in France, where he had gotten involved in local affairs of the French bishops and royalty, causing confusion and hard feelings in the Church. Pope Gregory wanted to return to Rome, but he needed some encouragement, which Catherine energetically gave him. At her urging, he finally packed his belongings and set out for Rome.

By now Catherine was in her early thirties. She looked much older, though, because she fasted often and had done much traveling in all kinds of weather. Her difficult journeys had taken her on missions of peace to cities that were at war with one another.

One day Catherine had a vision. Jesus was on the cross, and Catherine could see how much he was suffering. Suddenly, bright red rays came from his hands, feet, and heart. Catherine felt his pain. It was as if she, like Jesus, had nails in her hands and feet. Other people very close to Jesus have experienced this same thing. It is called the “stigmata.” In Catherine’s case, people could not see the wounds, but they could see that she was often in great pain.

At last, when she was thirty-three, Catherine had one more vision of Jesus. This one was also painful. Jesus seemed to be taking her own heart and blood and pouring it out over his Church. Catherine understood. She offered all her last sufferings and prayers to God for reconciliation within the Church that Jesus had started. She died not very long after this, and from heaven she helped the Pope and the other bishops settle their differences. In the year 1461, she was declared a saint.

Pope Gregory wanted to return to Rome, but he needed some encouragement, which Catherine energetically gave him.

Right after Catherine died, Father Raymond of Capua, a Dominican priest who often heard Catherine’s confessions, started to write the story of her life. He also helped her friends to collect the many letters she had written and the thoughts and meditations that she had shared with them. We have many of these writings today. Catherine of Siena is known as one of the “Doctors of the Church.” This is a special title given to saints whose writings have helped other Christians live as Jesus did. Catherine is also called a mystic, because of the many special visions that she had of Jesus.

Following Catherine’s example, we can try to keep a “quiet place” for God in our hearts. We can take a few minutes each day to talk heart-to-heart with him and thank him for his help in every situation. If we sin by choosing to do the wrong thing, we can tell God that we are sorry, go to confession as soon as possible, and promise to try harder to be like Jesus.