Skip to content

Bl. Catherine of Pallanza

Facts

Birth: ~1437
Death: 1478

Author and Publisher - Catholic Online
Printable Catholic Saints PDFs
Shop Bl. Catherine of Pallanza

Catherine, the lone survivor of a family from Pallanza, Italy that had perished in the plague, recited the Hail Mary a thousand times every Saturday. Around the age of twenty, deeply moved by a sermon on the Passion of Christ, she prostrated herself before a crucifix and consecrated her virginity to God. Soon afterward, she experienced a vision of Christ Crucified, who told her, "Beloved daughter Catherine...I have selected for you the place called Saint Mary on the Mountain." Acting upon this, she withdrew to live as a hermitess at an alpine Marian sanctuary near Varese. Remaining devoted to the Passion of Christ, Catherine recited daily Saint John's Gospel account of the Passion, seeing her mountain sanctuary as an image of both Mount Olivet and Mount Calvary. Her hermitage grew into a religious community under her direction. On her deathbed, Catherine was given a crucifix, which she kissed, saying, "I see my beloved Crucified One." Her confessor then said, "Behold your Crucified One," to which she responded, "I have him engraved on my heart."

Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Prayer of the Day logo
Saint of the Day logo

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.