Catherine of Alexandria

c. 287-305

Feast Date: November 25

Catherine is thought to have been born to a noble family in Alexandria, Egypt. Through a vision, this scholarly young woman converted to Christianity and began evangelizing others, including the wife of the pagan emperor who was persecuting Christians. According to legend, after she defied the emperor and refuted philosophers brought in to test her faith, she was imprisoned and tortured. She was put on a rotating spiked wheel; when it broke, she was beheaded. She is venerated as the Great Martyr St. Catherine in the Orthodox tradition and her voice was among those heard by St. Joan of Arc. She is the patron saint of wheelwrights, and also a patron of jurists, philosophers, students and teachers.

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Author: Catholic News Service

Catholic News Service is the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ news and information service.

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