Episode 2504: St Catherine of Genoa

St. Catherine of Genoa (1447–1510), also known as Caterina Fieschi Adorno, was a prominent Italian mystic, spiritual writer, and a key figure in the reform of hospitals in Genoa. Her life is renowned for her deep mystical experiences, her intense dedication to helping the poor and sick, and her contributions to the Catholic understanding of purgatory.

Early Life
Catherine was born in 1447 to an aristocratic family in Genoa, Italy. Her family, the Fieschi, were influential and well-connected. Her father was the Viceroy of Naples, and her lineage traced back to two popes (Innocent IV and Adrian V). Despite her privileged background, Catherine had a spiritual calling from a young age. She desired to enter a convent when she was a teenager, but her family had arranged for her to marry Giuliano Adorno, a wealthy but morally lax Genoese nobleman.

Marriage and Conversion
Catherine's marriage was unhappy, marked by her husband's infidelity and financial irresponsibility. For the first several years, Catherine led a relatively secular life, feeling deeply unsatisfied and spiritually empty. However, in 1473, at the age of 26, Catherine experienced a profound mystical conversion while visiting a church in Genoa. In this transformative experience, she felt overwhelmed by God’s love and mercy, leading her to a life of intense prayer, self-denial, and charitable work.

Her conversion not only changed her own life but also had a profound impact on her husband, Giuliano. He, too, underwent a spiritual awakening, and together they chose to live a life of chastity and dedicated themselves to the care of the sick and poor in Genoa. They became deeply involved in the administration and reform of the city’s largest hospital, Pammatone Hospital.

Mysticism and Spirituality
St. Catherine is perhaps most famous for her mystical writings and her deep insights into the doctrine of purgatory. Her “Treatise on Purgatory” and “Dialogues” are considered classics of Catholic spiritual literature. Unlike the traditional view of purgatory as a place of physical torment, Catherine envisioned purgatory as a state of purification, where souls undergo a loving, transformative process to prepare them for union with God. She described it as a joyful, though painful, purification by divine love.

Her mystical experiences were not limited to visions of purgatory. Catherine often felt a deep sense of God's presence, describing it as a "fire of love" that consumed her soul. She spoke of her overwhelming love for God as something that purified her from sin and led her to a deeper understanding of divine grace. Catherine’s writings deeply influenced later Catholic thought on the nature of the soul’s purification after death.

Service to the Poor and Sick
Catherine and her husband devoted much of their lives to caring for the sick at Pammatone Hospital, where she worked tirelessly as a nurse and administrator. Her work there earned her a reputation as a saintly figure even during her lifetime. She was known for her compassion, humility, and practical wisdom in dealing with patients, particularly during outbreaks of plague.

Death and Canonization
St. Catherine of Genoa died on September 15, 1510, after a life marked by profound mysticism, service to the poor, and selfless devotion to God. Her life and writings became well-known in the centuries following her death, and she was beatified by Pope Clement X in 1675. She was canonized in 1737 by Pope Clement XII.