St. Catherine of Bologna

St. Catherine of Bologna was born Sept. 8, 1413 into a wealthy Italian family. She was raised in the court of the Marquis of Ferrara and was well-educated. She excelled in writing, painting, and music. In 1426, she joined a group of beguines (lay women living a semi-religious life) following the Augustinian rule. The women were divided on whether to continue to follow the Augustinian rule or the Franciscan rule. In 1431, the beguine house was converted into a Poor Clare convent; Catherine remained in the house and became a Poor Clare sister.

Catherine became mistress of novices. She wrote religious treaties, sermons, and copied and illustrated her own breviary. She drew and stitched images of several saints and of the infant Jesus. She is said to have experienced visions of Mary, Joseph, and Thomas Becket and receive prophecies of the future, including the 1453 fall of Constantinople.

In 1455, she was sent to serve as abbess of a new convent in Bologna.

St. Catherine of Bologna died on March 9, 1463. Eighteen days after her burial, the nuns reported a sweet smell coming from her grave. Her body was exhumed and found to be incorruptible. She is the patron of artists, the liberal arts, and against temptations. Her feast day is March 9.