Throughout her life Catherine claimed to have visions and revelations. Saint Angela of Foligno's feast day is February 28. Catherine became a tertiary (member of a monastic third order who takes simple vows and may remain outside a convent or monastery) of the Dominican order (1363), joining the Sisters of Penitence of St. Dominic in Siena. WebCatherine lived at Corpus Domini, Ferrara most of her life from 1431 to 1456, serving as Mistress of Novices. Local nuns still run the church and will provide information leaflets with more in-depth facts about St. Catherines life. Then she became Superioress of a new school in Bologna. It was a wonderful opportunity for Catherine. To the right of the throne she saw an Archangel, probably St. Gabriel, who, while playing a stringed instrument, sang: Et gloria ejus in te videbitur and his glory will be seen upon you (Is 60:2). There, she served as an abbess until. Her body was found to be astonishingly untouched by death, and deemed incorrupt.. Catherine received a wonderful education in reading, writing, singing and drawing while being raised at the court of the Duke of Ferrara. The penances, labours and struggles against the devil took their toll on her health. But when we got there, we discovered a very powerful Saint who became very personal to us. At the time, the custom of the Poor Clares did not allow the sisters to be buried in a coffin. Therefore, we cannot end these lines without uniting ourselves, if only in spirit, to the endless procession of devotees who come to pray at her feet. But you will no longer be able to prevent me when from all parts of the world the faithful will come to visit you and, with profound veneration, will kneel to kiss your feet!. by Marion Habig, ofm. http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/fontana_prospero.html WebSaint Catherine of Bologna was charged with the duties of the bakery; she cheerfully undertook this laborious service, and even when the heat began to affect her eyes, she remained at her post as long as the abbess required it. During that first period in Ferrara, she received many mystical graces, but she also had to endure many spiritual trials. Her father, John of Vigri, was a relative of the marquis of Este, who resided in Ferrara. Through her efforts with Pope Nicholas V, the Poor Clare convent at Ferrara erected an enclosure, and Catherine was appointed Superioress. There have been other paintings of this miracle story, but there is something spectacular about the way Fontana depicted the scene. She and Margaret were educated together by a private tutor. As companion to Margaret d'Este she was educated at the ducal court until Margaret's marriage. Copyright 2022 Catholic Online. Then she became Superioress of a new school in Bologna. Her skin has since been blackened due to exposure from oil lamps and soot. At the age of nine, she went to live at the court of the Marquis of Ferrara, where she became the maid of honour of Princess Margherita dEste. Her body, as she had asked in the prayer, was carried away by angels and buried on Mount Sinai so that she might rest where God had written on stone His law. Learn about this Italian saint, whose feast is March 9. Bob Lord| As was the custom of the Poor Clares, she was buried without a coffin. Catherine particularly excelled at miniature painting, Latin, and playing the viola. Read his story here. "Malpighi and the holy body: medical experts and miraculous evidence in seventeenth-century Italy", This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 20:17. So she put the bread in the oven, said I entrust you to Christ and then went to hear the sermon, which lasted more than four hours. WebCatherine lived at Corpus Domini, Ferrara most of her life from 1431 to 1456, serving as Mistress of Novices. It remains intact, never having decomposed for over five hundred years! However, when she removed the loaves from the oven, they were nicer than ever. trans. With a gesture of His hand, the Redeemer bade the virgin come forward and explained to her the deepest meaning of these words, referring to herself. Casting off comfortable courtly life with ready love and obedience, Catherine found great joy in performing humble duties of daily laundry and the baking of convent bread. Tradition tells us that the white mark which remained on St. Catherines incorrupt body indicates the exact spot where Jesus affectionately kissed her. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. On the feast of the Annunciation of Our Lady in the year 1413, Saint Catherine was born at Bologna. For this reason, she sought every possible means to serve her as a nurse, which included washing her feet. "La Pedagogia dell'immagine nelle miniature e negli scritti di S. Caterina Vigri". His actions would lay the foundations of a Kingdom for Christ that would eventually reach around the world and spread the Catholic faith to millions of souls. Sign up for our Premium service. At the time, the city of Ferrara was becoming a cultural center, providing the young girls with an excellent education in music, literature, painting, and dancing. She also served as a caretaker for the animals. In 1456 she founded in Bologna a convent of Poor Clares, serving as abbess until her death. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. When she died on March 9, 1463, sounds of sobbing and weeping were heard everywhere in the convent. As a Poor Clare she mastered the Franciscan virtues by taking care of animals and plants, engaging in a simple and communal lifestyle where laundry and cooking were shared by all members of the order. She first join a local order of lay women who followed the Franciscan rules and later become part of the Poor Clares, a religious order founded by St. Clare and St. Francis of Assisi to allow nuns to lead a contemplative lifestyle. She accepted the offer and, together with 12 nuns from her home monastery of Ferrara, she helped found the Corpus Domini monastery in Bologna. Public Domain via Wikimedia. One of the prayers written in the aforementioned book gives us a glimpse of this: My sweetest Lord Jesus Christ, who by Thine infinite and inexpressible charity suffered cruel torments tied to a pillar, and endured the rough and harsh blows of Thine enemies for my salvation, I beg Thee to grant me such fortitude that with Thy grace I may prevail and endure with patience this and every other battle.4. She was exhumed 18 days later after visitors noticed a sweet smell coming from her grave and some experienced miracles. WebSaint Catherine of Bologna was charged with the duties of the bakery; she cheerfully undertook this laborious service, and even when the heat began to affect her eyes, she remained at her post as long as the abbess required it. She felt forsaken by God, she found herself in the darkness of faith. We celebrate St. Catherines feast day on March 9. Location: Capitoline Museum, Rome This highly acclaimed book is Catherines writings, all of which were dictated, include about 380 letters, 26 prayers, and the 4 treatises of Il libro della divina dottrina, better known as The Dialogue (c. 1475; Eng. While the sisters were burying her body in the monastery cemetery, a mysterious and sweet perfume began to waft from the place, pervading the entire surroundings. But her humility did not stop her spiritual and creative genius. Crossing of the Red Sea; Moses Changing Aarons Rod into a Snake; Moses Saved from the River; Moses She wrote a number of religious treatises, lauds, sermons, and copied and illustrated her own breviary (see below). Catherine especially enjoyed the art lessons she and Margaret were given. as an ebook download. Princess Margaret of Ferrara grew very fond of Catherine and even asked her to stay as her official companion after she had been officially engaged to a local nobleman. Click the link below! During this time she suffered a spiritual crisis, but she had a vision of the Real Presence in the Eucharist that brought her consolation. WebIn St. Catherine of Bologna, Divine Providence deposited admirable gifts, among which stand out her docility in allowing herself to be loved by God. [17], A drawing of a Man of Sorrows or Resurrected Christ found in a miscellany of lauds (Ms. 35 no.4, Archivio Generale Arcivescovile, Bologna) has also been attributed to her. It remains intact, never having decomposed for over five hundred years! He had them all put to death. During the Lenten season of 1463, Catherine became seriously ill, and on March 9th she passed away. She also taught them to use the golden mean that leads to solid virtue. She was stricken with a very high fever, chest pains and an excruciating headache, as well as haemorrhaging. And, her painting of St. Ursula remains on display in a Venice gallery. Part of this book describes at length her visions both of God and of Satan. The superior of the time did not think twice and ordered St. Catherine to assume a sitting position, a command which the corpse obeyed without hesitation. In 1455 the Franciscans and the governors of Bologna requested that she become abbess of a new convent, which was to be established under the name of Corpus Domini in Bologna. Catherine continued in her artistic pursuits, playing the viola, painting religious pictures (including one of St. Ursula that hangs today in a gallery in Venice), copying out and illuminating her breviary (now on display at Oxford), and writing spiritual guides and poetry. So, it was decided that she should be exhumed. Dissension in the community led Catherine and others to join the Poor Clares, a contemplative order founded by St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. But even after her death her sisters were to be made joyful through her. Pope Benedict described this humble saint as, "From the distance of so many centuries she is still very modern and speaks to our lives. Her mission failed, and she was virtually ignored by the pope, but while at Avignon she promoted her plans for a Crusade. Catherine was the youngest of 25 children born to a lower middle-class family; most of her siblings did not survive childhood. Surrounding them are the philosophers who are amazed at what Catherine is sharing as can be seen by the look of awe on their faces. In 1432, Catherine and other young women of Ferrara founded a monastery of the Order of Poor Clares, an order founded by St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. Her skin is still normal, except that it has become darkened by the oil lamps and candles which have burned about over the centuries. During the Lenten season of 1463, Catherine became seriously ill, and on March 9th she passed away. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. During the Lenten season of 1463, Catherine became seriously ill, and on March 9th she passed away. http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/prospero-fontana/ She was a model of piety and reported experiencing miracles and several visions of Christ, the Virgin Mary, Thomas Becket, and Joseph, as well as future events, such as the fall of Constantinople in 1453. She is the patron saint of artists, the liberal arts, against temptations and of Bologna. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. At just 17 years old, Catherine joined a semi-religious lay community and later went on to join other women in founding a monastery of the Order of Poor Clares. Image credit: Madonna and Child by St. Catherine of Bologna, 15th century. Among her visual art production, a painting of St. Ursula, now held at Venices Galleria dellAccademia, particular stands out, as well as her own illuminated manuscript which was used by Pope Pius IX and is now preserved in Oxford, England. Catherine of Bologna was an Italian nun and artist born as Catherine de' Vigri on September 8, 1413, in Bologna, Italy. So be it!. And how is it that she has remained seated there for so many years? Catherine appeared among them as a mirror of all the virtues, but meanwhile she was also being subjected to very severe temptations of the evil spirit. Her most famous work is probably the Seven Spiritual Weapons Necessary for Spiritual Warfare, written in 1438 and continuously re-drafted until her death in 1463. Omissions? She felt forsaken by God, she found herself in the darkness of faith. (LogOut/ WebCatherine was to be canonized by Pope Clement XI on 22 May 1712. Soon, the women decided to join an order of nuns called the Poor Clares. Accordingly, she encouraged the members of her community with words such as these: Beloved sisters, the dowry that Christ Jesus wants to find in each one of you is that you be valiant in battle, that is, strong and steadfast in the fight.3, However, it was not only her gifts as a pious writer that the novices of Ferrara could appreciate. Catherine of Bologna was an Italian nun and artist born as Catherine de' Vigri on September 8, 1413, in Bologna, Italy. It, therefore, played an important role in the dissemination of late medieval vernacular mysticism in the early modern period. Catherine is significant as a woman artist who articulated an aesthetic philosophy. The virginal lips of the nun touched the face of the Child, who, in response to the love of his spouse, also gave her a kiss. At a young age she is said to have consecrated her virginity to Christ and experienced mystical visions. Her most remarkable vision was on Christmas Eve, when she claimed that Mary appeared to her with baby Jesus, and that Mary even let Catherine hold him. The Dispute of Saint Catherine is listed among his major works. In memory of this fact, to this day the people of Bologna observe the custom of reciting a thousand Hail Marys on Christmas Eve. She was buried without a coffin and her body was exhumed eighteen days later because of many cures attributed to her at her graveside and the sweet scent coming from her grave. Pomata, Gianna. Then, repeating the sweet name of Jesus three times, she took flight to meet the Lamb. But 14 days after her burial her sisters decided to exhume her body, as a sweet scent emanated from her tomb. Excerpted from Christ Our Life, by Sisters of Notre Dame of Chardon, Ohio. Catherine, then 14, joined a group of Franciscan tertiaries in Ferrara who later adopted the Rule of St. Clare. Her incorrupt body rests in Bologna. 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