Catherine de Ricci was born into an influential Tuscan family in Italy in 1522. Her mother died in her infancy. While Catherine was a young girl, her father placed her in a convent in Florence for some years where her aunt lived as a nun. After spending some time at home, she entered the Dominican order as a nun. She was plagued most of her life with extremely painful illnesses, but this only increased her union with God. She became well known for her great wisdom and piety, with many Bishops and princes seeking her out for counsel and advice, including three Cardinals who would later become pope. She also had the gift of bilocation and would enter a state of rapture with visions she had of Christ. She was very devoted to prayer and to caring for the sick. She died in 1589 and was canonized in 1746 by Pope Benedict XIV. She is the patron saint of the sick and those struggling with temptation.
Like the faith of the Syrophoenician woman in the Gospel today who crossed cultural and society norms to plead for Jesus to help her daughter out of her great faith for Jesus, many of the saints like Catherine de Ricci are great examples of faith for us, persevering against adversity and obstacles. Let us unite our prayers with the prayers of St Catherine de Ricci today.
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