Catherine, of Siena, Saint, 1347-1380
Dates
- Existence: 1347 March 25 - 1380 April 29
Biographical note
Born at Siena in Tuscany in 1347, the twenty-fifth child of a wool-dyer, Catherine Benincasa received the habit of the third order of Saint Dominic at the age of sixteen, continuing, however, to live at home. Soon her reputation for sanctity attracted a number of persons, clerical and lay, round her, earning the nickname "the Caterinati." She worked among the poor of Siena, and was instrumental in persuading Pope Gregory XI to abandon Avignon and return to Rome. She tried to heal the great schism of the West, rallying all Italy around Pope Urban VI. In 1378, she was summoned by the pope to Rome and there died. She has left over four hundred letters and a Dialogue. Canonized in 1461 and declared patron saint of Italy in 1939.
(paraphrased from The Book of Saints : A Dictionary of Persons Canonized or Beatified by the Catholic Church. 5th edition. New York: Crowell, 1966.)
Alternate names
Caterina di Jacopo di Benincasa, Caterina da Siena
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Saint Catherine of Siena, undated
Statues, sculptures, bas-reliefs, plaques, triptychs, paintings, Christmas ornaments, and other decorative art media featuring Catholic imagery. The art depicts angels, the Holy Family (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph), saints, and blessings or prayers.
Collection is open for research.
Saint Catherine of Siena, 1953
Relics in a variety of reliquaries, including badges, crucifixes, devotional wallets, lockets, and reliquary boxes.
Content notice
Some relics include fragmentary human remains.
Collection is open for research.