Finding Your Vocation? St Catherine of Siena Has Something to Say

How can St Catherine of Siena help you find your vocation? The 14th century Dominican is a fount of wisdom! Fr John Farrell OP shares a reflection on St Catherine from the garden at Holy Cross Leicester. St Catherine was born in Siena, Italy, in 1347. She was one of twenty-five children. While still a small girl she vowed her virginity to God under the inspiration of divine grace and, despite the objections of her family, she pursued a life of prayer, fasting and penance as a Sister of Penance of St Dominic from 1363. She led a very austere life at home until 1370, when she received from the Lord the command to undertake an active apostolate. From then onwards, in obedience to the Holy Spirit, she combined the highest contemplation of divine things in the ‘cell of her heart’ with apostolic work. In 1376 she wrote successfully to Gregory XI to induce him to return the papacy from Avignon to Rome. She sought diligently to bring men and women of all conditions to a life of virtue and peace. Aflame with divine love, she strove to conform herself to Christ crucified, and on 1 April 1375 she received the sacred stigmata, though invisibly. ‘Her learning was infused not acquired; she seemed from the first to be a master rather than a pupil’ (Bull of Canonisation). She left behind remarkable writings of spiritual and theological doctrine, most notably the Dialogue (1378). She came to be called ‘Mother’ by a large family of disciples and continues to be a Mother to the whole Dominican family. She died in Rome in 1380 and was buried in the basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. She was canonised by Pius II on 29 June 1461 and was declared a Doctor of the Church by St Paul VI in 1970. Support: If you want to support our work on YouTube, please visit https://english.op.org/support-us/onl... Learn more about the Dominican Friars in Britain: https://www.english.op.org Support the mission: https://www.english.op.org/support-us Follow us: Facebook:   / dominicanfriarsinbritain   Instagram:   / dominicanfriarsinbritain   TikTok:   / dominicanfriarsinbritain