St Catherine of Siena

Feast Day: 29 April

House Colour: Blue

House Leader Melton Campus - Kath Jones

House Leader Cobblebank Campus - Terri Curnow

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About St Catherine

St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) was born during the outbreak of the plague in Siena, Italy. She was the 25th child born to her mother, although half of her brothers and sisters did not survive childhood. 

Despite Catherine’s religious nature, she did not choose to enter a convent and instead she joined the Third Order of St Dominic, which allowed her to associate with a religious society while living at home with her parents. 

St Catherine reminds us that ‘virtue’ stems from knowledge of self and knowledge of God. The virtues of St Catherine are surrender of self-will, discretion, and detachment. 

Action and activism are the essence of St Catherine of Siena. She was passionately devoted to the salvation of mankind; she left an astounding legacy of four hundred written letters and a devotional Dialogue that are considered great classics in literature. 

She is credited with influencing the return of the papacy to Rome from France, and for this reason she is the patroness of Italy. 

St Catherine struggled against great odds to keep the Catholic Church united. Her message to others was a call to faith in troubled times. People pray to St Catherine to bring about the strength and faith for action in times when action is needed, both political and spiritual.

House Prayer

Eternal and loving God , help us to fully know our true nature.

Guide us Lord to find the fire of Your love in our nature and to draw courage from Your light, Your wisdom and Your strength within us.

Eternal God, let any cloud of doubt disappear so that we may know and follow you in truth, with a free and simple heart.

St Catherine of Sienna, pray for us.

Amen.