Historic Figures
WITH THE NAME CATHERINE
Almost all living women named Catherine today can thank St. Catherine of Alexandria for their name. As her legend and cult grew in the Middle Ages, she gained quite a following (particularly among women who began naming their daughters after her in veneration). Often referred to as “Catherine of the Wheelâ€, St. Catherine was martyred in Alexandria, Egypt around 307 AD yet “herstory†was largely unknown until around the year 800 when her relics were purportedly discovered on Mt. Sinai (apparently her hair was still growing and healing oils were secreting from her body). Um, yah, kind of creepy, but such stories of saintly relics were hugely popular in medieval times and Catherine was a glowing example of the so-called Virgin Martyrs. Catherine of Alexandria was born a pagan princess at the end of the 3rd century in Alexandria, Egypt, but converted to Christianity before the age of 20. She was renowned for her beauty, intellect, education and articulation. She took her religious arguments to the Roman Emperor Maxentius in an effort to stop the cruel persecutions of Christians under his rule. In doing so, Catherine managed to convert almost all of those around him to Christianity, including his own wife. When Maxentius tried to thwart her by proposing marriage, she refused, declaring herself the wife of Christ to whom she consecrated her virginity. Incensed, the emperor ordered her death on the spiked wheel (a rather cruel method of execution during Antiquity). Legend has it that the wheel miraculously broke and freed Catherine as she prayed. So her executioners switched to Plan B instead: they beheaded her (the angels then swooped down and carried her off to Mt. Sinai). The name Catherine became a particular favorite among the French after Joan of Arc declared that St. Catherine of Alexandria was one of the saints who appeared to her in a dream instructing her on what she needed to do. St. Catherine is remembered among Catholics as a woman who would not abandon her true faith and stood bravely against the opposition despite the consequences. She is now the patron saint of philosophers and preachers, and her feast day is November 25.
Almost all living women with some form of the name Catherine today can thank St. Catherine of Alexandria for their moniker. As her legend and cult grew in the Middle Ages, she gained quite a following (particularly among women who began naming their daughters after her in veneration). Often referred to as “Catherine of the Wheelâ€, St. Catherine was martyred in Alexandria, Egypt around 307 AD yet “herstory†was largely unknown until around the year 800 when her relics were purportedly discovered on Mt. Sinai (apparently her hair was still growing and healing oils were secreting from her body). Um, yah, kind of creepy, but such stories of saintly relics were hugely popular in medieval times and Catherine was a glowing example of the so-called Virgin Martyrs (like Agnes, Barbara and Margaret, for example). Catherine of Alexandria was born a pagan princess at the end of the 3rd century in Alexandria, Egypt, but converted to Christianity before the age of 20. She was renowned for her beauty, intellect, education and articulation. She took her religious arguments to the Roman Emperor Maxentius in an effort to stop the cruel persecutions of Christians under his rule. In doing so, Catherine managed to convert almost all of those around him to Christianity, including his own wife. When Maxentius tried to thwart her by proposing marriage, she refused, declaring herself the wife of Christ to whom she consecrated her virginity. Incensed, the emperor ordered her death on the spiked wheel (a rather cruel method of execution during Antiquity). Legend has it that the wheel miraculously broke and freed Catherine as she prayed. So her executioners switched to Plan B instead: they beheaded her (legend has it that the angels swooped down and carried her off to Mt. Sinai). The name Catherine became a particular favorite among the French after Joan of Arc declared that St. Catherine of Alexandria was one of the saints who appeared to her in a dream instructing her on what she needed to do. St. Catherine is remembered among Catholics as a woman who would not abandon her true faith and stood bravely against the opposition despite the consequences. She is now the patron saint of philosophers and preachers, and her feast day is November 25.
Catherine de' Medici was a very powerful woman of the late Middle Ages, known mainly for her role as Queen Consort to King Henry II of France. Born into the ruling family of Florence, Italy in the early 16th century, young Caterina (as she was known in Italian) was sent to France at the age of 14 to marry the second son of King Francis I. She became Queen Consort Catherine of France from 1547-1559 when her husband became king after his older brother Francis contracted one of those medieval colds and died. King Henry II was more enamored with his mistress (Diane de Poitiers) than his wife so he largely excluded Catherine from power and prominence at court. Nevertheless, Catherine was a baby-making machine and produced 11 children in all. She was also the ultimate Medieval “Momager†– three of her sons became Kings of France, one daughter became Queen Consort of Spain and another daughter eventually became a Queen Consort of France, as well. After Catherine’s husband King Henry II died in a freakish jousting accident when she was forty, three of her sons would rule in succession between 1559 and 1589 (Francis II, Charles IX and Henri III). These 30 years are often referred to as "the age of Catherine de' Medici". Unfortunately for Catherine de' Medici, history has been unkind when remembering what troubles she caused, but there’s no denying that ambition and gusto of hers! She was a bossy, sometimes ruthless Aries after all (and she was also really into astrology, séances, consultations with the famous “seer†Nostradamus, etc). She enthusiastically injected herself into the reigns of her sons but her misguided attempts at jockeying for power were thwarted by the raging civil war between the Catholics and Huguenots (French Protestants) at the time. Historically, she is given the shameful blame for ordering the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (1572) where 10,000 Protestants were killed. Still, Catherine was a woman in a man’s world, so she took her power as mother to play regent and minister to the kings of France (her sons were, for the most part, “Mama’s Boys†so this wasn’t too difficult). As her last reigning son King Henri III said in apparent defense of her: “Was she not compelled to play strange parts…in order to guard, as she did, her sons, who successively reigned through the wise conduct of that shrewd woman? I am surprised that she never did worse.â€
St. Catherine of Siena, along with St. Francis of Assisi, holds the distinction of being one of the two patron saints of Italy. Caterina (as she was called in Italian) was born in Siena, Italy in the 14th century and was (gasp!) the 24th child of her mother (obviously, in those days, not all of them lived). Apparently, Catherine had her first apparition of Christ when she was a mere six years old and swore chastity by seven. She was devout to say the least: fasting, cutting off her hair, taking vows of solitude and silence, tending to the sick and poor, and giving away her earthly possessions (regardless of the cost to her family). Later, moved by Christ again, she was called into public life where she championed Church reform and encouraged peace among the various provinces of Italy. Although Catherine had little education, she became one of the leading theological minds of her day and wrote prolifically (contributing to the establishment of the Tuscan dialect as the Italian standard). Her other purpose: playing mediator in the “Great Western Schism†(a split within the Catholic Church when two different men claimed Pope). She was proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1970 (one of the first women to be named so) and, aside from Italy, she is the patron saint of fire prevention, as well. Her feast day is April 29 or 30.
St. Catherine was the saint martyred in Alexandria, Egypt around 307 AD. She was born a pagan, but converted to Christianity before the age of 20. She was condemned for her Christian belief and sentenced to death on the wheel. Legend has it that the wheel miraculously broke, so she was beheaded instead. She did not abandon her faith, her truth, and stood bravely against the opposition. She is now the patron saint of philosophers and preachers, and it is said that Joan of Arc saw her in a dream.
The notoriously much-betrothed Henry VIII of England had two wives by the name of Catherine. The first, Catherine of Aragon, was a Princess of Spain when she came to England in 1501 to marry into the royal family (as such were predestined political alliances of the day). She was Henry VIII’s first wife. Catherine of Aragon was unable to produce a male heir beyond infancy, and Henry VIII eventually grew tired of her. Unable to get the marriage annulled by the Roman Catholic Pope in order to marry his pregnant lover, Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII created the Church of England instead! Catherine of Aragon and her one surviving daughter, Mary I of England, remained steadfast loyal to Catholicism. Catherine Parr was Henry VIII’s last wife, and ironically, she was named after Catherine of Aragon (Parr’s mother had been a lady-in-waiting to the then-Queen of England). So Catherine Parr became the sixth wife of Henry, and he became her third husband at the ripe old age of 31. The King died during their marriage, and she went onto marry for a fourth time. After Henry’s death, Catherine Parr became the guardian of the future Queen of England, Elizabeth I (daughter to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn).
Catherine the Great (Empress of Russia) - The Russian empress, Catherine the Great, ruled between 1762 and 1796. Her given name at birth was actually Sophie, and she came to Russia to marry the heir to the throne (Peter the Great’s grandson). Her marriage was loveless, and she found her husband unfit to rule. Although not Russian by birth (she was German), she converted to the Russian Orthodox faith and quickly adopted all things Russian in an effort to gain support of the people. Apparently, her cunning and sharp-intellect worked, as she was instrumental in overthrowing her husband and jockeyed ambitiously into power. Once Empress of all of Russia, she took the name Catherine II. During her reign, she expanded the empire down to the Black Sea and into central Europe. She is most known for modernizing Russia. Highly educated herself and heavily influenced by the Enlightenment, she westernized the country and transformed St. Petersburg into a major capital.
St. Catherine was the saint martyred in Alexandria, Egypt around 307 AD. She was born a pagan, but converted to Christianity before the age of 20. She was condemned for her Christian belief and sentenced to death on the wheel. Legend has it that the wheel miraculously broke, so she was beheaded instead. She did not abandon her faith, her truth, and stood bravely against the opposition. She is now the patron saint of philosophers and preachers, and it is said that Joan of Arc saw her in a dream.
The notoriously much-betrothed Henry VIII of England had two wives by the name of Catherine. The first, Catherine of Aragon, was a Princess of Spain when she came to England in 1501 to marry into the royal family (as such were predestined political alliances of the day). She was Henry VIII’s first wife. Catherine of Aragon was unable to produce a male heir beyond infancy, and Henry VIII eventually grew tired of her. Unable to get the marriage annulled by the Roman Catholic Pope in order to marry his pregnant lover, Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII created the Church of England instead! Catherine of Aragon and her one surviving daughter, Mary I of England, remained steadfast loyal to Catholicism. Catherine Parr was Henry VIII’s last wife, and ironically, she was named after Catherine of Aragon (Parr’s mother had been a lady-in-waiting to the then-Queen of England). So Catherine Parr became the sixth wife of Henry, and he became her third husband at the ripe old age of 31. The King died during their marriage, and she went onto marry for a fourth time. After Henry’s death, Catherine Parr became the guardian of the future Queen of England, Elizabeth I (daughter to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn).
Catherine the Great (Empress of Russia) - The Russian empress, Catherine the Great, ruled between 1762 and 1796. Her given name at birth was actually Sophie, and she came to Russia to marry the heir to the throne (Peter the Great’s grandson). Her marriage was loveless, and she found her husband unfit to rule. Although not Russian by birth (she was German), she converted to the Russian Orthodox faith and quickly adopted all things Russian in an effort to gain support of the people. Apparently, her cunning and sharp-intellect worked, as she was instrumental in overthrowing her husband and jockeyed ambitiously into power. Once Empress of all of Russia, she took the name Catherine II. During her reign, she expanded the empire down to the Black Sea and into central Europe. She is most known for modernizing Russia. Highly educated herself and heavily influenced by the Enlightenment, she westernized the country and transformed St. Petersburg into a major capital.
Almost all living women named Catherine today can thank St. Catherine of Alexandria for their name. As her legend and cult grew in the Middle Ages, she gained quite a following (particularly among women who began naming their daughters after her in veneration). Often referred to as “Catherine of the Wheelâ€, St. Catherine was martyred in Alexandria, Egypt around 307 AD yet “herstory†was largely unknown until around the year 800 when her relics were purportedly discovered on Mt. Sinai (apparently her hair was still growing and healing oils were secreting from her body). Um, yah, kind of creepy, but such stories of saintly relics were hugely popular in medieval times and Catherine was a glowing example of the so-called Virgin Martyrs. Catherine of Alexandria was born a pagan princess at the end of the 3rd century in Alexandria, Egypt, but converted to Christianity before the age of 20. She was renowned for her beauty, intellect, education and articulation. She took her religious arguments to the Roman Emperor Maxentius in an effort to stop the cruel persecutions of Christians under his rule. In doing so, Catherine managed to convert almost all of those around him to Christianity, including his own wife. When Maxentius tried to thwart her by proposing marriage, she refused, declaring herself the wife of Christ to whom she consecrated her virginity. Incensed, the emperor ordered her death on the spiked wheel (a rather cruel method of execution during Antiquity). Legend has it that the wheel miraculously broke and freed Catherine as she prayed. So her executioners switched to Plan B instead: they beheaded her (the angels then swooped down and carried her off to Mt. Sinai). The name Catherine became a particular favorite among the French after Joan of Arc declared that St. Catherine of Alexandria was one of the saints who appeared to her in a dream instructing her on what she needed to do. St. Catherine is remembered among Catholics as a woman who would not abandon her true faith and stood bravely against the opposition despite the consequences. She is now the patron saint of philosophers and preachers, and her feast day is November 25.
Catherine the Great (Empress of Russia) - The Russian empress, Catherine the Great, ruled between 1762 and 1796. Her given name at birth was actually Sophie, and she came to Russia to marry the heir to the throne (Peter the Great’s grandson). Her marriage was loveless, and she found her husband unfit to rule. Although not Russian by birth (she was German), she converted to the Russian Orthodox faith and quickly adopted all things Russian in an effort to gain support of the people. Apparently, her cunning and sharp-intellect worked, as she was instrumental in overthrowing her husband and jockeyed ambitiously into power. Once Empress of all of Russia, she took the name Catherine II. During her reign, she expanded the empire down to the Black Sea and into central Europe. She is most known for modernizing Russia. Highly educated herself and heavily influenced by the Enlightenment, she westernized the country and transformed St. Petersburg into a major capital.
The notoriously much-betrothed King Henry VIII of England had three wives by the name of Catherine – his first, fifth and last. The first wife, Catherine of Aragon, was a Princess of Spain when she came to England in 1501 to marry into the royal family (as such were predestined political alliances of the day). As Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon was unable to produce a male heir beyond infancy, and so the King quickly tired of her. In the meantime, old Henry knocked-up his mistress Anne Boleyn. Certain that the pregnant Anne was carrying his male heir and the future King of England, Henry VIII went to the Pope and requested his marriage to Catherine be annulled so he could swap “I Dos†with Miss Boleyn. But devoutly Catholic Catherine of Aragon was having none of that. Fortunately, she had her own “friends in high places†(her nephew was the Holy Roman Emperor after all), so the Church refused the annulment in her favor. Furious, King Henry VIII broke ties with Rome and created the Church of England instead! Catherine of Aragon and her one surviving daughter, Mary I of England, were banished from court yet remained steadfast loyal to Catholicism. The next Catherine, commoner Catherine Howard, met an even more unsavory fate. Accused of treason by reason of infidelity, Henry VIII ordered the beheading of his fifth wife when she was around 20 years old. The sixth and final wife of Henry, Catherine Parr, was ironically named after Catherine of Aragon (Parr’s mother had been a lady-in-waiting to the then-Queen of England). So Catherine Parr became the sixth wife of Henry, and he became her third husband at the ripe old age of 31. The King died during their marriage, and she went onto marry for a fourth time. After Henry’s death, Catherine Parr became the guardian of the future Queen of England, Elizabeth I (daughter to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn).
