Why Is St. Catherine Important

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St. Catherine of Bologna
St. Catherine, virgin of the Church, was born as Catherine de’ Vigri on September 8, 1413 in Bologna, Italy. She grew up in a wealthy home and received a great education. Catherine loved and excelled at painting, Latin, and the viola. When Catherine was only 13 or 14 years old she had a calling for the religious life and joined the convent of Corpus Domini at Ferrara. These were devout women who followed the rule of the Third Order of St. Augustine. Four years later, unhappiness spread through this religious community which caused Catherine and others to join the Poor Clares in Ferrara. They were an order founded by Saint Francis and St. Clare of Assisi.
The Poor Clares focused on their devotion to God
Although she liked to take on lesser roles, at the new convent she was abbess and had to maintain peace among the sisters. She took on this job until her death. The Poor Clares under Catherine’s guidance were known for their service to the poor and holiness. Catherine’s love of art continued throughout her life and she was said to even be playing her viola on her deathbed. She was also known for painting religious pictures and miniatures, copying manuscripts and illustrating them, and writing poetry and spiritual guides. Her work can be seen today in a gallery in Venice and on display at Oxford University. One of Catherine’s works is Treatise on the Seven Spiritual Weapons. This is an account of Catherine’s path of faith and the struggles she endured. Her words of wisdom are still inspiring people today.
Throughout her life, Catherine experienced religious visions. She was said to be a mystic and saw extraordinary and gruesome visions. For example, she experienced baby Jesus in her arms and was also tortured with visions of Satan. Later in life she was able to overcome the horrible visions of Satan through prayer. She used her visions to spiritually guide her