St. Catherine of Siena

Catherine is my patron saint. She's a good friend of mine, my "Mamma," who has welcomed me into her friendship and prayed for me so much. She's an inspiration to me and an aid in my journey into God. It's great to have friends.

She’s a very intelligent and opinionated woman who in her earthly lifetime made quite a mark on the world. She helped to take care of her family (she was her parents’ twenty-fourth child), she devoted her life to serving God and helping the sick, and she even advised the Pope to return to Rome when the Papacy was in exile in Avignon. As the Pope's advisor, she also made great efforts to heal the schism of Anti-Pope Clement VII, caused by corruption in the Church.

She had many acquaintances, and she loved each human being she met so intensely, but she also had a small group of close friends who followed her through much of her ministry. They were men and women, religious, clergy, and laity, and they each had their own gifts to add to the mix. She strengthened them immensely, and as gifts from God they helped to strengthen her.

She probably died by contracting illness from those that she spent her days helping, but even death couldn’t stop the love that she had. God raised her up to heaven from the grave, where she is still His handmaid, praying and watching over God's many children like one of the judges of Israel.

She is one of the few female doctors of the Church. She was a brilliant lay theologian who wrote a very deep, amazing work from her reflections while receiving the Body of Christ. She hadn’t even received any formal education, and yet her work is a great piece of theology and a wonderful contribution to Catholic thought. Her book is entitled, A Dialogue.

She truly lived the Gospel, and sought to glorify God in everything she did. She didn’t seek anything for herself, but only for God's glory, and because of that God lifted her up and made her greater than she had ever imagined.

I want to be like her, because she wanted to be like Jesus.

For a short, specific biography of her life, check out Catholic Online. God bless!