St. Catherine of Genoa

St. Catherine (1447–1510) was born into an aristocratic family in Genoa, Italy. She was a quiet, obedient, physically beautiful, and holy child who devoted herself to prayer and penance. At the age of 13 she made an attempt to enter a convent, but was rejected. At the age of 16 she consented to a marriage arranged by her family for political and financial gain. Her husband was faithless and violent, and their marriage was miserable. Catherine did not bear any children, and for the first five years lived as a hermit in her fine home. After this time, upon her family's rebuke of her solitude, she began to engage in the kind of social activity expected for her state in life. This only increased her weariness and depression, and led to the loss of her religious fervor. Catherine prayed earnestly for assistance in her trouble. Taking the advice of her sister, who was a nun, Catherine went to confession, and through the sacrament had a profound mystical experience in which she clearly saw the depth of her sinfulness contrasted with the depth of God's love. From that point on she renewed her commitment to rigorous prayer, penance, and works of mercy, and God continued to favor her with mystical visions. Catherine later won the conversion of her husband, and they were received into the Third Order of St. Francis. Together they cared for the poor and sick in the Genoa hospital, over which Catherine became administrator. St. Catherine's mystical visions were recorded by her confessor toward the end of her life, the most famous being her Treatise of Purgatory. Her feast day is celebrated on September 15th.