November 25 + Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Born in 287 AD in Alexandria, Egypt, Catherine was both a princess and a noted scholar and converted to Christianity after receiving a vision of Mary and the Infant Jesus.

Although she was a teenager, she was very intelligent and gifted. When the emperor Maxentius began persecuting Christians, Catherine visited him to denounce his cruelty. Rather than order her execution, Maxentius summoned 50 pagan orators and philosophers to debate her.

However, Catherine was moved by the power of the Holy Spirit and spoke eloquently in defense of her faith. Amazed at her wisdom and debating skills, many of them became Christians — as did about 200 soldiers and members of the emperor’s family. All of them were martyred.

Unable to defeat her rhetorically or to intimidate her into giving up her beliefs, the emperor ordered her to be imprisoned and tortured. Despite the torture, she did not abandon her faith. Sentenced to be executed on a spiked wheel, Catherine touched the wheel and it shattered. Unable to torture her to death, the emperor simply ordered her beheading. Angels are said to have carried her body to a monastery at the foot of Mt. Sinai.

Catherine is one of the 14 Holy Helpers and Saint Joan of Arc identified Catherine as one of the Saints who appeared to her and counseled her. She is the Patron Saint of unmarried girls, students, teachers, librarians and lawyers.