Saint Catherine of Siena

Saint Catherine of Siena was born in 1347 in Siena, Italy. She was the youngest child of a very large family and grew up an intelligent, cheerful, and intensely religious person. At age six, she began having mystical experiences, seeing guardian angels as clearly as the people they protected. Saint Catherine was very in touch with God, even as a child.

When Saint Catherine was twelve, her parents thought of engaging her in marriage. She wanted to devote her life to God, not to her husband. She disappointed her parents by cutting off her hair as a protest, thinking it would lessen her appearance and not attract a husband. She doubled her prayers, knowing that only God to protect her from marriage. When she was eighteen, she entered the Dominican Third Order and spent the next three years in seclusion, prayer, and austerity. These two experiences were the most important character decisions in Saint Catherine's life.

Saint Catherine's values influenced her character decisions. She valued God's unconditional love over anything else. She valued service and served the sick and the poor liberally. Saint Catherine also valued solitude, because she lived for three years only involving herself with God. She valued virginity because as a child, she consecrated her virginity to God by a prayer vow. A value of Saint Catherine's that I admire is solitude, because I don't think I would be able to live like she did for three years. Some of Saint Catherine's principles include assisting the poor, serving the sick, comforting the afflicted and prisoners, and serving the Lord. When she was fifteen, Saint Catherine feed the poor boiled herbs and cared for the sick.

Saint Catherine's role model was most likely Jesus, because she spent most of her time talking to him and performing acts of service in His name. She surrendered her life and self to God. She was also favored by God with extraordinary graces as soon as she was capable of knowing him. She dedicated her life to the service of others just as Jesus did. The values my role model has that I most greatly admire are love, family, strength, and courage.

Saint Catherine ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. In 1970, Paul VI named her a doctor of the Church. She was one of the most brilliant theological minds of her day. Saint Catherine of Siena was one of the greatest saints that ever lived.