St. Catherine of Alexandria is a virgin saint and martyr in the early Church. She is one of the the Fourteen Holy Helpers and rejected the overtures of Emperor Maxentius.
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Who Was Saint Catherine of Alexandria?
Catherine was born around 287 AD in Alexandria, Egypt, to a noble pagan family. Renowned for her intelligence, beauty, and devout faith, Catherine converted to Christianity during her youth, becoming a fervent believer.
Her most famous story is tied to her confrontation with Emperor Maxentius, who ruled during the early 4th century.
Maxentius persecuted Christians, and Catherine openly challenged him, criticizing his cruelty and refusal to acknowledge Christianity. Maxentius summoned fifty of the empire’s best philosophers to debate Catherine, but her wisdom and eloquence convinced many of them to convert to Christianity. In response, Maxentius ordered the philosophers to be executed.
Failing to dissuade Catherine from her faith, Maxentius proposed marriage, offering to make her his empress. Catherine rejected his offer, declaring that she was mystically wedded to Christ.
Enraged, Maxentius sentenced her to be tortured on a spiked wheel, now famously known as the Catherine Wheel. The wheel miraculously broke when she touched it, so she was eventually beheaded.
St. Catherine became one of the most popular saints in the medieval period, especially revered by scholars, philosophers, and women. She appeared to St. Joan of Arc in the 1400s.
She is often depicted holding a book, a wheel, or a sword, symbolizing her martyrdom and scholarly wisdom. Her feast day is celebrated on November 25.