St. Catherine of Siena
Apr 29
Patron Saint of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, of Europe, Illness, Miscarriages; People Ridiculed for their Piety, Sexual Temptation, Nurses & Against Fire
Catherine Benincasa was born in Siena, Tuscany, in 1347. The twenty-third child of Giacomo, a well-to-do dyer, and his wife Lapa, the lively and happy girl grew up in the Benincasa’s spacious house. Their family home is preserved to this day.
At six years of age, Catherine saw Our Lord Jesus dressed as a Pontiff atop the Church of the Dominicans. This vision left such a deep impression upon her that she pledged herself to Christ.