Chris Kenny
St Catherine de Ricci
Construction with found twig
£365.00 (framed)
15cm x 23cm
February 2nd
Catherine took the veil at Prato, a convent founded by nine female followers of Savonarola. She was just fourteen years of age and had lost her mother as a small child.
Catherine's adolescence was very difficult with complex pains and distempers and a hatred of all earthly things.
In her twenties she rose quickly through the ranks of the convent - her sanctity and prudence drew the attention of princes, bishops and future popes.
She wore an iron chain around her neck and engaged in extreme fasting. She was able to have mystical intercourse with St Philip Neri who was in Rome without ever leaving Tuscany.
Catherine would go into ecstasy every week, from Thursday lunchtime to Friday evening eschewing sleep and experiencing Christ's passion from start to finish including bleeding stigmata and great spiritual suffering.
She enjoyed a mystical marriage with Christ - he gave her a wedding ring that lay beneath the skin on her finger.
She died on February 2nd 1589.
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