February 13 + Saint Catherine de Ricci

Catherine was born in Florence in 1522 to the noble Ricci family. Her baptismal name was Alessandra, but she took the name of Catherine upon entering the religious life.

From her earliest infancy she manifested a great love of prayer. At 6 years of age, her father placed her in the convent of Monticelli in Florence, where her aunt, Louisa de Ricci, was a nun. At 14 years of age, she entered the convent of the Dominican nuns in Tuscany.

Catherine's mother died when she was an infant. She considered the Blessed Virgin Mary to be her true mother and developed a great devotion to her. As a child, Catherine could speak to her guardian angel and the angel taught her the prayers of the rosary.

Catherine received visions and had ecstasies – outwardly she seemed asleep or dully stupid when the visions were upon her. Catherine thought everyone received these visions as part of their lives with God. She corresponded with Saint Philip Neri and, while still living, she appeared to him in Rome in a miraculous manner — she could bilocate. (Bilocation is the miraculous ability to be in two places at the same time.)

At age 20, she began a 12-year cycle of weekly "Ecstasies of the Passion" from noon Thursday until 4:00 pm Friday, often accompanied by serious wounds. Her sisters could follow the course of the Passion, as the wounds appeared in order from the scourging and crowning with thorns. At the end, she was covered with wounds and her shoulder was indented from the Cross. The first time, during Lent in 1542, she meditated so completely on the crucifixion of Jesus that she became ill and was healed by a vision of the Risen Lord talking with Mary Magdalene.

Crowds came to see her, skeptics and sinners were converted by the sight. After a long illness, she passed away in 1589. Catherine is one of five Dominican women who are canonized saints.