Catherine of Genoa
1447 – 1510
feast – September 15
Caterina Fieschi wanted to be a nun like her older sister, but instead was married at 16 to Giuliano Adorno. Their arranged union was not happy for Caterina; her husband had a child with his mistress and wasted much of their fortune. But in 1473 Caterina had a vision of Christ carrying his cross which changed her life. Thereafter, she devoted her life to prayer and caring for the poor in the slums of Genoa, Italy. Giuliano also changed, becoming a Franciscan tertiary. They both worked at the largest charity hospital in Europe, with Caterina advancing from volunteer to director. She also wrote about mysticism and was canonized in 1737.
