Santa Faustina Kowalska

Catherine of Siena, born Caterina di Jacopo di Benincasa in 1347, was an Italian mystic, diplomat, and theologian. Despite her parents' wishes, she devoted herself to God from a young age, joining the Mantellates, a lay Dominican group. Her spiritual life included visions and a profound connection to Christ, which she described as a mystical marriage. Catherine's influence extended into politics; she advocated for papal reform and peace, notably convincing Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome from Avignon and later mediating political disputes.

She dictated her major theological work, 'The Dialogue of Divine Providence,' to scribes, and her extensive correspondence with political and religious leaders further solidified her impact. Catherine's rigorous asceticism, including fasting and caring for the sick, contributed to her reputation as a holy woman. She died in 1380, exhausted by her practices. Her canonization followed in 1461, and she was later declared a Doctor of the Church and a patron saint of various places, recognized for her theological writings and political influence.

Born in Siena in 1347, Catherine di Jacopo di Benincasa felt a strong calling to a spiritual life from childhood, often in opposition to her parents' desires. She eventually joined the Mantellate, a group of devout women associated with Dominican spirituality. Her early spiritual experiences included visions of Christ and a vow to dedicate her life to God. At sixteen, she resisted an arranged marriage by adopting severe fasting and cutting her hair, asserting her desire for a life of prayer and service outside traditional religious structures. She developed a practice of creating an 'inner cell' for spiritual retreat and saw her family members as representations of Christ and the Apostles. Her commitment to a spiritual path intensified after a vision of Dominic de Guzmán and a subsequent illness that led her mother to accept her wish to join the Mantellate.

Around the age of twenty-one, Catherine experienced what she termed a 'Mystical Marriage' with Christ, an event she described as a spiritual union involving an invisible ring of Christ's flesh. This experience marked a transition from her withdrawn life to active engagement with the world. Guided by Christ to leave her solitude, she began ministering to the sick and poor in Siena, attracting a following of men and women. Her charitable work, particularly in hospitals and among the incarcerated, earned her the title 'santa donna,' or holy woman. This growing reputation for holiness eventually drew her into broader social and political affairs.

Catherine's involvement in public life led her to address the political tensions of her time. She traveled to Florence and Pisa, advocating for clerical reform, repentance, and peace among Italian city-states. Her influence was significant enough to persuade Pisa and Lucca to withdraw from an anti-papal league. She corresponded extensively with Pope Gregory XI, urging him to reform the Church and return the papacy from Avignon to Rome, a move she played a role in facilitating. During this period, she also began dictating her spiritual writings, including 'The Dialogue of Divine Providence,' to scribes. Following Gregory XI's death, she continued her advocacy, promoting obedience to Pope Urban VI during the Western Schism.

“Bathe in the blood of Christ crucified. See that you don't look for or want anything but the crucified, as a true bride ransomed by the blood of Christ crucified – for that is my wish. You see very well that you are a bride and that he has espoused you – you and everyone else – and not with a ring of silver but with a ring of his own flesh.”