Saint of the Month - February 2016: Saint Catherine de' Ricci

St. Catherine de' Ricci

Mystic of the Passion

Feast: February 2nd

The featured February Saint is notable not just for her personal sanctity, but also for the incredible spiritual phenomena that surrounded her life with uncommon frequency. St. Catherine de' Ricci worked miracles and experienced Ecstasies; Visions; Bilocation; the Stigmata of Christ... and after her death, her body defied the laws of nature by remaining incorrupt.

A marble bust that captures the
true features of the Saint.

Born in the city of Florence, Italy, on April 23, 1522, her secular name was Alessandra Lucrezia Ricci.  The Ricci Family was made up of wealthy bankers and merchants so our Saint grew up in a home that was both comfortable and socially prominent.  When she was still a little child, Alessandra's mother died and her father was remarried to an aristocrat named, Fiammetta Diacceto.  Fortunately for the girl, her new mother was a woman of deep faith, who sensing in Alessandra an early attraction to spirituality, wisely guided and encouraged the youngster in pious pursuits.

By the time she was in her early teens Alessandra had already resolved to become a nun and she set her eyes on the Convent of San Vincenzo Ferrer in nearby Prato, where its members strictly observed the Rule of the Dominican Order.  Her paternal uncle, Timoteo Ricci, also happened to be a priest and the chaplain for the nuns of San Vincenzo.  He offered to arrange her entry into the convent. 

At first, Alessandra's father was resistant to his daughter's plan to become a religious, but when the girl fell dangerously ill, he relented and consented to her desire.  Soon after, Alessandra was miraculously healed and happily departed for Prato.  Inspired by the life of the famous Dominican, St. Catherine of Siena (d. 1380), she changed her name to Sr. Catherine upon entering the convent; she was only 13-years-old at the time she abandoned secular life.

St. Catherine, in ecstasy, often
spoke with Jesus Christ.

The first five years were rough for the young novice.  During that time frame, Sr. Catherine suffered severe temptations to quit religious life coupled by health issues.  Furthermore, she began experiencing episodes of ecstasy that left her senseless and completely absorbed in the contemplation of the Divine, and which caused her much embarrassment.  For example, she was assigned to the convent's kitchen and would sometimes drop dishes and food when an ecstasy unexpectedly came upon her. The other nuns, at first, misunderstood the situation and attributed Catherine's behavior to ineptitude.  Then, as the ecstatic phenomena escalated, they looked upon her with distrust; either she was seeking attention for personal gain or simply crazy.  It was only through the influence of her uncle, Fr. Timoteo, that she managed to avoid being dismissed from the convent by her superiors.  But, eventually, through her consistent practice of humility and obedience, Sr. Catherine overcame all suspicion while earning the respect of her community.

The mystical phenomena in her life came to a culmination in February 1542, when Catherine was 20-years-old.  She received the Sacred Stigmata and experienced her very first "Ecstasy of the Passion", which recurred weekly.  During these special ecstasies, which lasted from noon on Thursdays until 4:00pm Fridays, our Saint reenacted scenes from the Passion of Christ while her Stigmata bled profusely; her bodily postures mimicked those of Christ's sufferings that she saw in a series of visions.

News of the Passion Ecstasies soon spread outside the convent walls and crowds flocked to the convent to witness them; some even climbed atop the outer walls in the hope of catching a view of the miracle.  A papal envoy sent to investigate the events also deemed them genuine.  In the meantime, Sr. Catherine and the other nuns were unhappy with the weekly intrusions and prayed fervently for the ecstasies to cease.  God finally answered them, but only after twelve straight years of recurring ecstasies.
  

The Mystical Marriage of St. Catherine to

Jesus during which he gifted her with a gold

ring mounted with a brilliant diamond.

Other miraculous occurrences recorded of Sr. Catherine included her bilocations to Rome, where she conferred with St. Philip Neri (d. 1595), who openly attested to the mystical visits and spoke highly of her character.  In the same manner, she miraculously visited with St. Maria Maddalena de Pazzi (d. 1607) in her Carmelite Monastery in Florence.  There was also the ring of Mystic Espousal - a gold band with a single diamond - that she received from Christ in April 1542, shortly after she was stigmatized.  Although the ring could only be seen by her, a visible red mark surrounded her finger where the ring had its place... but on special feast days the other nuns were able to catch glimpses of the actual gold ring, itself.

... and finally, there was Catherine's sufferings on behalf of the Poor Souls in Purgatory.  She experienced frequent visits from the Holy Souls and her compassion towards them moved her to offer prayers, fasts, and other voluntary penances to alleviate their painful spiritual purification.  During one notable episode, she generously volunteered to our Lord to suffer for the soul of Francesco de' Medici, a Grandduke, who was a generous financial benefactor to her convent.  Jesus approved and, for forty days, Sr. Catherine suffered the fiery purgation intended for Francesco - her body became so hot, her skin broke out with blisters and the other nuns could not enter her room due to the intense heat mysteriously emanating from her.  The pain must have been terrible, but the Saint endured the trial in complete peace, having been assured by divine revelation that the Grandduke's soul had entered into eternal rest.  These brief accounts are just a few samplings of the prodigious mystical life of St. Catherine de' Ricci.  Her biography is filled with many, many other such stories.

It should be emphasized that, apart from the marvels that she experienced, Catherine was a worthy nun who lived the Christian virtues, exceptionally; her life should not be defined only by the unusual events reported of her.  When her community of nuns finally recognized her innate sanctity, she was elected to successive leadership positions until she became prioress in perpetuity at aged 30... and she served her convent admirably.  During her rule, one account states that her convent's membership grew to close to 160 nuns!  A testimonial to the immense, positive spiritual influence she had in the region.  In addition, she was the unofficial spiritual adviser to many prominent families in Florence, as well as to other holy individuals of her time, as already mentioned above.

The miraculously preserved body of St.

Catherine, venerated in Prato, Italy.

Sr. Catherine died at age 67 on February 2, 1590, surrounded by the mysterious scent of flowers - the odor of sanctity - that often emanated from her person during her ecstasies.  Her body was later discovered incorrupt during the ritual exhumation that was part of the Canonization Process.  She was declared a Saint in 1746 amidst rejoicing in both Prato and Florence.  Her perfectly preserved remains are venerated in the Basilica of San Vincenzo e Santa Caterina de' Ricci, attached to the Saint's original convent.

An A.I.-generated photo-like image of

the Saint, based on early portraits.  Is this

what she looked like in life? 

According to feedback this author personally received from the Dominican nuns of San Vincenzo Convent, St. Catherine de' Ricci's memory is still very much alive in Prato despite the passage of over four centuries.  May this Saint intercede for our personal needs and the needs of the Universal Church.

A Reflection
"Look down, we beseech Thee, O Lord, on this Thy family for which Our Lord Jesus Christ did not hesitate to be delivered into the hands of the wicked, and suffer the torments of the Cross."  ~ A prayer composed by St. Catherine de' Ricci

A Short Prayer

Lord, in the same burning spirit of love that St. Catherine had for your Church, we also pray your divine guidance and protection upon it; upon the Pope; the Clergy; consecrated men and women; upon the laity.  Amen.

Holy Relic Visitation: Our Lady of Fatima Prayer Group, 1/30/2016

Carrying my Godson
after prayer time.

Tonight's prayer group meeting - our first for 2016 - was a night of answered prayers and signal graces; a testimonial to the power of prayer, especially the Holy Rosary.  On this very day a mother and daughter were reconciled after several months of estrangement; a married couple received a much-needed financial windfall from an unexpected source; a non-Catholic friend going through personal turmoil finally consented to join us after years of unanswered invitations; and, finally, our host's little baby boy (my Godson, right photo) was apparently blessed by Heaven in special way when we found his face and head sprinkled with golden escarchas after our prayer finished.  God is good!

In addition, our group found inspiration in the life and relic of the Blessed who I shared about at the start of our meeting.  It was Bl. Marguerite Bays (d. 1879), the Swiss lay-mystic and stigmatist, whose immense faith in God led her to trust that the illness (cancer) that she endured would draw her into a deeper union with Christ and save sinners, too.

Gold escarchas on the tip of my finger
that came from my Godson's head.

The simple truth is... no one living on this planet is exempt from trials and suffering - the people in our prayer group know this very well - but the attitude we choose to adopt in the face of them goes a long way towards how much impact they make on us.  In Bl. Marguerite's case, her sufferings, prayerfully accepted with faith, gave her life meaningful purpose... and even transformed her occasions of pain into JOY.  We, too, could be happy and at peace in the midst of our own trials.  The key is to TRUST in God, as Bl. Marguerite Bays exemplified through her holy life.

After prayers ended, the night continued with a soup dinner and conversation about various lighthearted topics.  As usual, there was a lot of laughter and fun, as our souls were unburdened during the prayer time.  There was also a sense of deep gratitude as we sat in the dining area, listening to testimonies... or just looking at the people present around the table and recognizing in each person's circumstances, the signal graces God had granted him or her today; graces received through the intercession of the Virgin Mary and her Rosary.  Thank you, Jesus and Blessed Mother - we trust in you!

Monthly Messages from the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje: January 2016

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!

Our Lady's Monthly Message to the World on January 25th:

   "Dear children! Also today I am calling all of you to prayer. You cannot live without prayer, because prayer is a chain which brings you closer to God. Therefore, little children, in humility of heart return to God and to His commandments so that with all of your heart you are able to say: as it is in Heaven so may it be on earth. You, little children, are free to in freedom decide for God or against Him. See where Satan wants to pull you into sin and slavery. Therefore, little children, return to my heart so that I can lead you to my Son Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Thank you for having responded to my call."

Our Lady's Special Message to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo on January 2nd:

   "Dear children, as a mother, I am joyful to be among you because I desire to speak anew about the words of my Son and of His love. I hope that you will accept me with the heart, because the words of my Son and His love are the only light and hope in the darkness of today. This is the only truth and you who will accept and live it will have pure and humble hearts. My Son loves those who are pure and humble. Pure and humble hearts bring to life the words of my Son, they live them, they spread them and they make it possible for everyone to hear them. The words of my Son bring back life to those who listen to them. The words of my Son bring back love and hope. Therefore, my beloved apostles, my children, live the words of my Son. Love each other as He loved you. Love each other in His name, in memory of Him. The Church is advancing and growing because of those who listen to the words of my Son; because of those who love; because of those who suffer and endure in silence and in the hope of final redemption. Therefore, my beloved children, may the words of my Son and His love be the first and the last thought of your day.  Thank you."