Ricci, Catherine de', Saint

CATERINA DE' RICCI, SANTA

Feast day: 2 February

RICCI, Catherine de', Saint. - Dominican, died on 23 April 1522 at Florence, from the first marriage of her father, Pierfrancesco. Alessandra (this was her baptismal name) spent her childhood first in her family, a patrician and numerous one, then in the Benedictine monastery of S. Pietro di Monticelli and at Villa di S. Paolo near Prato. On 18 May 1535 she took the Dominican habit in the monastery of S. Vincenzo at Prato, taking the name C. In that community the spirit of Savonarola was alive. Of a generous and resolute character, she knew how to unite wonderfully energy of spirit with sweetness of soul. After having discharged the office of mistress of novices and of subprioress, she governed the monastery for 7 two-year terms, comprised between 1552 and 1558, as prioress. As a spiritual mistress she also directed many secular persons. Consulted on the most varied spiritual questions by laypeople (such as by Giovanna of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, by Antonio de' Gondi, etc.), by priests, bishops and cardinals, she had relations with St. Charles Borromeo, St. Philip Neri, St. Pius V and St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, supporting with counsels and prayers their work of Catholic reform. Besides her familiar letters, in a pure and pleasant style, addressed to her devotees and disciples, she left other writings and a « laude » in honor of Savonarola, whom she particularly venerated.

Favored with extraordinary gifts (change of heart, stigmata, ecstatic visions and reproduction in her body of the Passion, which occurred from Thursday to Friday afternoon from 1542 to 1554), C. appeared to her contemporaries as a living manifestation of the redemptive Passion of Jesus, drawing many devotees and visitors to Prato. The « cantus passionis » Amici mei, composed of scriptural passages, inspired by her, has found a place in the Processionarium Ord. Praedicatorum. The Saint recommends peace and joy to be acquired in the « vigorous combat » with ourselves. Docile to the inspirations of God, the soul must ascend by the steps of trials up to disinterested abandonment to the divine will. Though so rich in sublime ascetic fervor, C. was a woman shrewd and well-balanced, humanly attentive to the life of every day.

C. died on 2 Febr. 1590 and was canonized by Benedict XIV on 29 June 1746. Her feast is celebrated on 13 Febr. - See Tav. LXV.

Plate LXV PORTRAIT ATTRIBUTED TO NALDINI (ca. 1570) - Montepulciano, Pinacoteca.(fol. Alinari)

Bibliography6 works

BIBL.: Ed. of writings: Lettere spirituali e familiari, edited for the first time by C. Guasti, Prato 1861, then with the title: Le lettere di s. C. de' R. alla famiglia con la giunta di alcune altre, by A. Gherardi, Florence 1890, and by p. Sisto da Pisa, Florence 1912. Lives: H. Bayonne, Vie de' s. C. de' R., 2 vols., Paris 1871 (It. trans., Prato 1873); F. M. Cape, S. C. de' R., her life, her letters, her community, London s. l. [1905] (cf. Anal. Boll., 26 [1907], p. 382); G. Bertini, Vita di s. C. de' R., Florence 1935; T. Bozza, Umanità di s. C. de' R., in La parola e il libro, 3 [1947], pp. 245-58; G. Getto, La letteratura ascetica e mistica in Italia nell'età del Conc. di Trento, in Contributi alla storia del Conc. di Trento e della Controriforma, Florence 1948, p. 51 ff. Cf. moreover I. Taurisano, Catalogue hagiographicis Ord. Praed., Rome 1918, p. 57; G. Scalia, G. Savonarola e s. C. de' R., Florence 1924.

@incollection{ec3_caterina_de_ricci_santa, author = {Walz, Angelo}, title = {Caterina de' Ricci, santa}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {III}, pages = {1159--1160}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1949}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/caterina-de-ricci-santa} }

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