March 9th - St. Catherine of Bologna, Poor Clare V (RM)
(also known as Catherine de'Vigri)
Born in Bologna, Italy, September 8, 1413; died there on March 9, 1463;
name
added to the Roman Martyrology by Clement VIII in 1592; canonized 1712 by
Clement XI; bull of canonization published by Benedict XIII in 1724.
At age 11, the patrician Catherine de'Vigri became lady-in-waiting to
Margherita d'Este at the ducal court of Nicholas III d'Este at Ferrara,
where she was given a good education. After Margherita's wedding,
Catherine
(age 13) joined a sisterhood of virgins in Ferrara, who lived according to
the rule of the Franciscan tertiaries. Largely as a result of her efforts,
this company formed itself into a convent of Poor Clares.
In 1432 Catherine took solemn vows and soon became mistress of novices. In
1456, she traveled to Bologna to oversee the building of the Poor Clares'
Corpus Christi Convent and became abbess of the new foundation. She was an
effective novice mistress and superioress. Catherine's incredible zeal and
solitude for the souls of sinners made her pour forth unceasing prayers
and
tears for their salvation.
From an early age Catherine was subject to visions, some of which from
their
nature and effects she judged to be diabolical temptations, while others
were consolatory and for her good. One Christmas she had a vision of the
Blessed Virgin with the infant Jesus in her arms, which is reproduced
often
in art since.
The learned saint recorded her soul's struggles and mystical experiences
in
a Latin work entitled Manifestations. She also wrote Latin hymns, and
composed and painted-including a self- ****trait that is really quite good.
The transfiguration of her prematurely aged, plain features often observed
in her life was even more remarkable after her death. She also had a
talent
for calligraphy and miniature painting; a breviary written out and
ornamented by her still exists at the Bologna convent.
Her life and the occurrences after her death were described by an
eyewitness, Blessed Illuminata Bembi:
"Thereupon the grave was prepared and when they lowered the corpse which
was
not enshrined in a coffin, it exhaled a scent of surpassing sweetness,
filling the air all around. The two sisters, who had descended into the
grave, out of compassion for her lovely and radiant face covered it with
cloth and placed a rough board some inches above the corpse, so that the
clods of earth should not touch it. However they fixed it so awkwardly
that
when the grave was filled up with earth it covered the face and body
nevertheless.
"The sisters came to visit the churchyard often, wept, prayed, and read by
the grave and always noticed the sweet odor in the air around it. As there
were no flowers or herbs near the grave- nothing but arid earth-they came
to
believe that it arose from the grave itself.
"Soon miracles occurred, for some who visited the grave in ill health were
cured. Therefore the sisters repented that they had interred her without a
coffin, and complained to their father confessor. He a man of sound
judgment
asked what they wanted to do about it.
"We replied: 'To take her out again, place her in a wooden coffin and
rebury
her.' He was taken aback by this request it was 18 days after her death
and
he thought that by now the corpse must be decomposed. We, however, pointed
out the sweet odor, and finally he granted permission to disinter her,
provided no smell of putrefaction would make itself felt during the
digging.
"When we found the body and laid the face free, we found it crushed and
disfigured by the weight of the board placed above it. Also, in digging,
three of the sisters had damaged it with the spade. So we placed her in a
coffin, and made ready for re-interment, but by some strange impulse were
driven to place her for some time under the ****tal.
"Here the crushed nose and the whole face gradually regained their natural
form. The deceased became white of color, lovely, intact, as if still
alive,
the nails were not blackened, and she exhaled a delicious odor. All the
sisters were deeply stirred; the scent spread throughout the church and
convent, attaching itself to the hands that had touched her, and there
seemed to be no explanation for it.
"Now after having been quite pale, she began to change color and to flush,
while a most deliciously scented sweat began to pour from her body.
Changing
from paleness to the color of glowing ember, she shed an aromatic liquid
which appeared sometime like clear water and then like a mixture of water
and blood.
"Full of wonder and perplexity we called our confessor; the rumor had
already spread to the town and he hurried to us accompanied by a learned
physician, Maestro Giovanni Marcanova, and they closely observed and
touched
the body. Others joined them: priests, physicians, laymen." The whole of
Italy converged to see her, and her body was placed on a chair in a
special
chapel behind bars and glass, and to this day is kept there in a mummified
condition (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia, Husenbeth,
Schamoni).
In art, Saint Catherine is a Poor Clare carrying the Christ Child.
Sometimes
she is shown enthroned with a cross, book, a cross on her breast and bare
feet (Roeder). Catherine is the patron of artists (Attwater).
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"Believe me that the mortification of the senses in seeing, hearing, and
speaking, is worth much more than wearing chains or haircloth"
-St. Francis de, Sales
St. Aloysius Gonzaga was admirable for mortification of the eyes, for it
is
narrated in his Life that he never looked any woman in the face. After he
had served the Empress as page for two years, a re****t was spread that she
was coming into Italy, where he happened to be, and some congratulated him
on the prospect of seeing his mistress again. But he replied: "I shall not
recognize her except by her voice, for I do not know her face:" His rare
mortification was well rewarded by God even in his life, for he was never
attacked by temptations of the flesh.
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". February - Humility)
Bible Quote:
16 For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and
the
concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the
Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)
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A Hymn to our Blessed Mother, Momento Salutaris. It is taken from the Hour
of ***t of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Little Office
is available from both St. Bonaventure Press and Angelus Press, and online
at http://members.tripod.com/~gunhouse/.
Memento salutis auctor.
Quod nostri quondam cor****is,
Ex illibata virgine
Nascendo, formam sumpseris.
Maria mater gratiae,
Mater misericordiae,
Tu nos ab hoste protege,
Et hora mortis suscipe.
Gloria tibi Domine,
Qui natus es de virgine,
*** patre, et sancto spiritu,
In sempiterna saecula. Amen.
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Be mindful author of our health,
That thou sometime didst take on thee
Of a pure virgin being born,
The form of our humanity.
Mary that mother art of grace,
Of mercy mother also art,
Save and defend us from our foe,
Receive us when we hence depart.
Glory be unto thee O Lord,
That born was of the virgin pure,
With the Father and the Holy Ghost,
All ages ever to endure. Amen.
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