MEMORIAL: NOVEMBER 25
St. Catherine was born at the end of the 3rd Century in Alexandria, Egypt. She was of noble birth and well learned. She became Christian at the age of 14 after she had a vision of Jesus and Mary. When Christian persecution increased under Emperor Maxentius, Catherine appealed to him to stop the persecutions. In response, Maxentius brought in fifty learned men to debate her alone. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Catherine was able to give a convicting defense of the faith and many in attendance converted to Christianity. This lead to her torture and imprisonment. The emperor offered to spare her if she married him, but she refused saying she was married to Jesus. She was then ordered to be executed by way of the painful ‘breaking wheel.’ However, as she touched it, the wheel broke. She was then simply beheaded. She is the patron saint of students, unmarried women, and apologists.
