Near the city of Bologna’s famous two towers, Saint Catherine was born on the feast day of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 8, 1413. Her parents were John Vegri and Benvenuta Mammolini.
Because her father was in the service of the Marquis Nicolo III of Este, Catherine grew up at the court of Ferrara. It was here that she gained not only wisdom beyond her years, but under her mother’s guidance and influence she was enriched spiritually.
Catherine’s gentleness, her charm, her very gracious ways, let alone her piety captivated all who knew her. It was also noticed by the Marquis and he selected her to be his daughter’s (the Princess Margaret) maid of honor.
Ferrara at that time was one of Europe’s most famous centers of culture, so unlike other young girls of the aristocracy her upbringing and education in literature and the arts was unsurpassed. Ferrara was also the center of “modern devotion” spirituality, a concept which rediscovered Christianity’s essential values. It was with this background that she was enabled to not only write her own breviary in Latin, but to beautifully illustrate it.
When she was 14, she decided that her love for Jesus was so great that she would enter the religious life. She joined a group of women in Ferrara, which had not yet adopted a definite religious rule.
She made remarkable progress, at first baking bread and carrying the building supplies to build the monastery. She also acted as the portress or “door keeper”.
Near the city of Bologna’s famous two towers, Saint Catherine was born on the feast day of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 8, 1413. Her parents were John Vegri and Benvenuta Mammolini.
Because her father was in the service of the Marquis Nicolo III of Este, Catherine grew up at the court of Ferrara. It was here that she gained not only wisdom beyond her years, but under her mother’s guidance and influence she was enriched spiritually.
Catherine’s gentleness, her charm, her very gracious ways, let alone her piety captivated all who knew her. It was also noticed by the Marquis and he selected her to be his daughter’s (the Princess Margaret) maid of honor.
Ferrara at that time was one of Europe’s most famous centers of culture, so unlike other young girls of the aristocracy her upbringing and education in literature and the arts was unsurpassed. Ferrara was also the center of “modern devotion” spirituality, a concept which rediscovered Christianity’s essential values. It was with this background that she was enabled to not only write her own breviary in Latin, but to beautifully illustrate it.
When she was 14, she decided that her love for Jesus was so great that she would enter the religious life. She joined a group of women in Ferrara, which had not yet adopted a definite religious rule.
She made remarkable progress, at first baking bread and carrying the building supplies to build the monastery. She also acted as the portress or “door keeper”.
Four years later, these women were introduced to the Franciscan “Poor Clare” rule of life, which they adopted. After a time, she was entrusted with the duties of Mistress of Novices and with God’s inspiration wrote the book “The Seven Weapons Necessary for the Spiritual Combat” as a guide for her novices’ spiritual formation.
God graced Catherine with many heavenly visions and mystical experiences. It was on Christmas Eve, 1445 that the apparition of Mary gave her the Child Jesus to hold in her arms. One Friday night, Jesus spoke to Catherine from the crucifix she had in her room. On one occasion when she thought she was dying, she heard wonderful singing with Jesus proclaiming that His Glory would be seen in her. [Et Gloria Eius in te videbitur.]
On July 22, 1456, with Catherine as Abbess, 17 other nuns left Ferrara to start a “new” Corpus Domini Monastery in Bologna. She remained there until her death on March 9, 1463 at the age of 50.
Many miracles began immediately, nuns and townsfolk were miraculously healed. Even after her own death a miracle happened: a sweet scent seemed to come from the monastery’s courtyard. Catherine’s body was exhumed 18 days later. The air filled with an intense and indescribable perfume. Her body was incorrupt.
This extraordinary event brought people from all over, even doctors and clergy to honor her body and to touch and view her. Many miracles happened to those who invoked her intercession. So in 1475 the nuns placed her body in a chair in a special chapel where she can still be seen today.
On May 22, 1712, on the feast of the Holy Trinity, Catherine, the patron of art and artists was declared a saint of the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Clement IX.
” Patron of Artists”
Artists have discovered that Saint Catherine of Bologna is the Catholic Church’s Patron Saint of Art. Like our patron saint, they see life as “a spiritual pilgrimage through the arts for the glory of GOD.” [Pat Benincasa]