St. Catherine of Genoa
Mystic and Servant of the Sick
Feast Day: September 15
Biography
St. Catherine (1447–1510) was born in Genoa into the noble Fieschi family. As a girl she hoped to become a nun, but at sixteen she was married to Giuliano Adorno, a young nobleman whose temper and extravagance made the marriage unhappy. For about ten years she lived in sadness and then in worldly distraction. In March 1473, while making a confession, she experienced an overwhelming sense of God's love and of her own sinfulness, which transformed her life. She began to receive Holy Communion daily, a rare practice at the time, and devoted herself to caring for the sick and poor. Giuliano, having lost his fortune, was also converted; the couple lived chastely and worked together at the Pammatone hospital in Genoa, and he became a Franciscan tertiary. Catherine became the hospital's director in 1490 and served heroically during the plague of 1493. Her disciples, including the layman Ettore Vernazza, recorded her teachings, especially the Treatise on Purgatory, which describes purgatory as the soul's loving purification by the fire of God's love. She died on September 15, 1510, after a long illness. Pope Clement XII canonized her in 1737. Her feast falls on the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
St. Catherine of Genoa, you discovered the burning love of God and poured out your life in service to the sick. Pray for those in difficult marriages, for nurses and caregivers, and for the souls in purgatory. Help me to let God's love purify my heart and to serve Him in all who suffer. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. St. Catherine of Genoa, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “St. Catherine of Genoa, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.