Early Life
Catherine Benincasa was born on March 25, 1347 in Siena, Italy. She was the youngest of a very large family. Catherine began having supernatural visions at a very early age; when she was six she had a vision of Jesus blessing her. From that time on, she spent most of her time in prayer and meditation. She consecrated her virginity to Christ when she was seven and would later cut off her hair to protest her arranged marriage. She became a Dominican nun when she was 16.
After three years of visitations and conversations with Christ, Catherine underwent the mystical experience known as the Spiritual Espousals (also known as a Mystical Marriage). She then began tending to the sick, serving the poor, and working for the conversion of sinners.
Brilliant Theologian
Although she did not have any formal education, Catherine was one of the most brilliant theological minds of her day. She did not know how to write for most of her life so many of her writings were written by other people as she recited deeply profound truths.
[this page is not finished]Doctor and Saint
Late life, Death, stigmata, Beatification, Canonization. She was declared Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI on October 4, 1970
[this page is not finished]Interesting Facts
Catherine had over 20 siblings.
She could see guardian angels and had visions of Christ, Mary, and the saints throughout her life.
She experienced the stigmata.
Her name means "pure one"
She would recite her writings to people who knew how to write because she didn't learn to write until late in life.
She is the patron saint of firefighters and fire prevention; illness and nursing; and those who suffer miscarriage, sexual and other temptations, and ridicule because of their piety. She is also the patron saint of the diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania; the USA; and Europe, especially Siena, Italy.
Prayers
Precious Blood,Ocean of Divine Mercy:
Flow upon us!
Precious Blood,
Most pure Offering:
Procure us every Grace!
Precious Blood,
Hope and Refuge of sinners:
Atone for us!
Precious Blood,
Delight of holy souls:
Draw us! Amen.
-Prayer of Saint
Catherine of Siena
Humble virgin and Doctor of the Church, in thirty-three years you achieved great perfection and became the counselor of Popes. You know the temptations of mothers today as well as the dangers that await unborn infants. Intercede for me that I may avoid miscarriage and bring forth a healthy baby who will become a true child of God. Also pray for all mothers, that they may not resort to abortion but help bring a new life into the world. Amen.
Dominican Tertiary and Doctor of the Church, you were full of wisdom, the special gift of God, and you knew how to guide even Pontiffs, as well as how to extinguish fiery passions and restore true peace among people. How inspiring your spiritual writings and how heroic your abstemious life! Fires are today unfortunately all too common - including those caused by criminals. Please protect and encourage firefighters in their heroic efforts to save lives. Amen.
God of Wisdom you made our sister Catherine burn with divine love in contemplating the Lord's passion and in serving your Church. With the help of her prayers may your people, united in the mystery of Christ, rejoice forever in the revelation of his glory, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Novena Prayer to Saint Catherine of Siena
Catherine of Siena: The Dialogue
Book Description from Amazon.com:
This is the crowning spiritual work of the only woman other than Teresa of Avila to be granted the title of Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church. This volume was simply called "my book" by the fourteenth-century Italian saint. The aim of her book (one of the first books to see print in Spain, Germany, Italy, and England), says Dr. Noffke in her Foreword, was "the instruction and encouragement of all those whose spiritual welfare was her concern." Catherine was "a mystic whose plunge into God plunged her deep into the affairs of society, Church and the souls who came under her influence." Professor Noffke goes on to call The Dialogue "a great tapestry to which Catherine adds stitch upon stitch until she is satisfied that she has communicated all she can of what she has learned of the way of God." In this, the sixth centenary of the great Dominican's death, we live in a time so badly in need of her sense of institutional reform as flowing from Divine truth, love and charity. Dr. Noffke says: "In the opening pages of The Dialogue Catherine presents a series of questions or petitions to God the Father each of which receives a response and amplification. There is the magnificent symbolic portrayal of Christ as the bridge. There are specific discussions of discernment, tears (true and false spiritual emotion), truth, the sacramental heart ('mystic body') of the Church, divine providence, obedience. It is not so much a treatise to be read as it is a conversation to be entered into with earnest leisure and leisurely earnest."
Read the pdf version (Acrobat Reader required) or buy the book at Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com.
