Catherine of Bologna, Saint

CATERINA da BOLOGNA, saint. — Born in Bologna on 8 September 1413 to the noble Giovanni Vigri da Ferrara and Benvenuta Manumolini of Bologna. At the age of 11 she was summoned by the duke of Este to the court of Ferrara, where she was admired by all for her goodness and her progress in the fine arts and letters that were taught to her. Desiring to consecrate herself to God, she left the court after three years and joined other young women, overcoming fierce struggles with the devil, whose arts she would reveal in the celebrated treatise Le arme necessarie alla battaglia spirituale. Princess Verde,

edified by the young woman’s holiness, built a monastery in Ferrara, where in 1432 C. entered, professing the rule of s. Chiara, and there served as baker, portress, and novice mistress. At the city’s request, a monastery was built in Bologna, where on 22 July 1456 the Poor Clares of Ferrara entered with C., who became their abbess, apart from an interruption of three years, until her death, which occurred on 9 March 1463. Her body remains incorrupt. She performed extraordinary miracles during her life and after her death; she was enrolled among the saints by Clemente XI on 22 May 1712.

In addition to the treatise mentioned above, published posthumously but composed as early as 1458 and subsequently issued several times and translated into various languages, C. wrote: Rosarium metricum de mysteriis Passionis Christi Domini et de vita B. Mariae Virginis, as well as other minor works, in verse and prose.