St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
Feast
She was born in Siena, in the Fontebranda district of Italy, in 1347, the twenty-fourth of 25 children. As a little girl, moved by divine grace, she vowed her virginity to God in 1354. After overcoming frequent opposition from her family, she began a strict life of prayer, fasting and penance among the Sisters of Penance of St. Dominic in 1363.
Devoted to the contemplation of the sweet First Truth, she sought “to know God in herself and herself in God.” She lived an austere life at home until 1370, when, in a vision, she received from her heavenly Spouse the command to enter upon the path of the apostolate.
From then on, wonderfully enriched by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and obeying him with complete docility, she joined the deepest contemplation of divine things in the “cell of the heart” with remarkable apostolic activity. With fiery eloquence and beautiful letters, she persuaded the Pope himself to return to the Roman See in 1376, and she strove to lead many men and women of every condition toward the good of virtue and peace.
Inflamed with divine charity, she sought to be conformed to Christ Crucified and was deemed worthy to be adorned with the sacred stigmata on April 1, 1375, shining with light rather than blood.
“Her doctrine was not acquired; she appeared to be a teacher before she had been a disciple” (Bull of Canonization). She left outstanding witnesses to her spiritual and theological doctrine, especially the Dialogue in 1378. She was rightly called “Mother” by her numerous family of disciples then, and she continues as such for the whole Dominican Family today.
She died in Rome in 1380 and was buried there in the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. Pius II enrolled her among the saints on June 29, 1461, and Paul VI declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1970.
Proprium Officiorum Ordinis Praedicatorum ad Normam Decretorum Sacrosancti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II Instauratum Vincentii Couesnongle iussu editum, Editio typica, Sanctae Sabinae, Romae 1982.
