St. Catherine of Siena

Born in Siena, Italy, in 1347, St. Catherine joined the Dominicans as a laywoman and devoted herself to prayer and care for the sick and poor. Though she had little formal schooling, her letters and her book The Dialogue earned her a place among the great spiritual writers, and she persuaded Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy from Avignon to Rome. She died in 1380 at age 33 and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1970. Her feast day is April 29, and she is a patron of Italy and Europe.