Vainglory or the True Glory of Christ: The Life of Saint Catherine of Siena

Authors

Dana Hallstrom, Brigham Young University

Keywords

Saint Catherine of Siena, Glory of Chirst, gender roles

Abstract

On April 29,1380, Saint Catherine of Siena lay dying in Rome surrounded by her closest disciples. An eyewitness account of the scene reports that in the midst of her death throes Catherine suddenly exclaimed, "Vainglory? Never! But the true glory of Christ crucified," seemingly compelled in her last moments to offer a final justification for her unusual life. Several years prior to her death, after having spent more than three years in selfimposed solitude and severe asceticism in a small room underneath the stairs of her father's house, young Catherine Benicasa experienced a vision in which Christ appeared to her and charged the young virgin to leave her cell. This mystical experience marked the beginning of Catherine's impressive and influential public life. In June of 1374 Catherine's actions were given official Dominican support, allowing her acts of charity to range beyond her birthplace of Siena, ltaly. Her reputation grew to such an extent that Pope Gregory XI and Pope Urban VI sent her on diplomatic missions. Perhaps her most notable accomplishment was the large body of writing she left behind, which included a voluminous personal correspondence as well as her own theological treatise, The Dialogue.

Recommended Citation

Hallstrom, Dana (2010) "Vainglory or the True Glory of Christ: The Life of Saint Catherine of Siena," The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing: Vol. 39: Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/thetean/vol39/iss1/6