Life of St. Catherine of Siena

by: Sis. Dina Balicanot

“Be who you were created to be and you will set this world on fire.”

I’m a recent devotee of St. Catherine Siena unlike before that it was totally zero when speaking about her sainthood.  I came to know her until last week when given this assignment.

In the past, as penance to a confessed sin, the Priest asked me to read the story of St. Catherine.   As I was reading her chronicle, I could not connect any relevance with regards to the offence I acknowledged before the clergy, until this topic hooked me up to that hanging question.

Reading the life of the Saints transforms the readers to also be holy.  This time, as I was perusing the St. Catherine’s account, the questions that brood over my mind concerning that “confession-penance” encounter has gradually been illumined.

I asked Bro. John Gabe if it follows to encompass exactly the same life of my Patron Saint and that of mine.  Nevertheless, he responded that it doesn’t necessarily adhere to such an image except that you’ll look at them as your confidant, intercessor and guide.

She is remarkable woman ever set by the Lord. St. Catherine is a mystic theologian, reformer, doctor of the church, and one of the most extraordinary women of the century.  

Born on 25 March 1347 as Caterina di Giacomo di Benincasa.

Youngest of 25 siblings (though some of them, like her own twin sister, had died in infancy) of Giacomo di Benincasa and Lapa Piagenti  from a middle class family.  

She is conversant and extremely charismatic.

At age 6, she had her first mystical vision (Jesus and His apostles) and accounted of her  levitation.

Her father was a wool dyer and her mother was a writer.

At age 7, vowed that she would never marry but would remain her chastity for Christ.

Beautiful, strong-willed and eloquent young woman.

Out of eagerness towards plan of marriage, her mother would conserve her aesthetic outer shell but she really preferred to be unsullied.   In fact, she would cut her hair to oppose her mother’s pursuit.

At age 17, started to occupy a tiny room, top of parents’ house (prayed, fasted, slept on wooden planks and scourged herself).

At age 18, she entered the Dominican Third Order which her parents not consented but the latter changed eventually because of her being sickly.  Third order is secular which emulates the lives of the Saints and the Blessed, as their charism.

"Build a cell inside your mind, from which you can never flee," St. Catherine says, as her advice on what to do in times of a dilemma.

At 19, Catherine was espoused to Jesus in a mystical marriage (with the Blessed Virgin Mary and hosts of heaven).

When Sienna had a terrible outbreak of the plague, she and her circle incessantly worked to relieve the sufferers.  She prepared them for death and buried them with her own hands, nursed and comforted them, which brought many conversions.

Spiritual Motherhood: In the life of consecrated women, this motherhood can express itself as concern for people, especially the most needy.

St. Catherine boosts one’s persona to mature and grow in the company of people and those who approached her. She would constantly articulate her compassion and empathy to her disciples who are enduring complexities, which indeed astounded the people who came to her.

She had been notably esteemed for her Pentecost-like ambiance because of her room that was frequently jam-packed with people who expressed their support on her advocacy.

As significant shepherd, be prayerful and reach out to your flocks to identify what hinders them of their commitment to persuade them to persevere in the ministry.

Make it a point to always be in a team effort with your Head Shepherd, as everyone is called to be a spiritual mother/father.

Fr. Raymund of Capua (1330-1399)  was St. Catherine’s Spiritual Director, and biographer.   He was a Dominican friar who helped her wisely to channel her gifts.  They worked as a team on all of her projects.  He was beatified for his reforms in Order, a manifestation that as her Confessor, St. Catherine’s devoutness had been infectious en route to his piety.

At 28 (1375) while visiting Pisa, she received Stigmata when five red rays shot out of the Crucifix she was praying to and pierced her hands, feet, and heart.

She would write pointedly and personally to Christians who terribly misbehaved.

Addressed kings and emperors, Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, city authorities and all the rulers of the world, whom she judged responsible for the sorry state of the world which had been mounted up to 400 letters.

St. Catherine’s mission had been to bring about change in the corrupt Catholic Church. She embraced her mission with all of the energy she brought to her prayer, tackling the sinful clergy person by person , winning them over with the purity of her own life, her direct, firm admonitions and her own extremely magnetic personality. 

St. Catherine wrote to Pope Gregory XI in Rome, strongly urging him to be part of the cause by all means possible to Italy's tranquility.

She was consulted by Papal legates about the affairs of the church. She became counselor to Pope Urban VI.

She died in Rome at the age of thirty-three, having suffered a stroke eight days earlier, on April 29 1380.

Canonized in 1461.

Declared patron Saint of Italy in 1939.

Named as Doctor of the Church in 1970.

She died without a family but neither her company of spiritual family left her.

God ask not a perfect work, but infinite desire.

St. Catherine used the sword of truth to save the greatest institution, the Catholic Church. Inspired a mighty band of men and women dedicated to the service of God.

“Pray for the Church.”