St. Catharine of Siena

Today the universal Church celebrates the feast of St. Catharine of Siena. In an unusual twist of divine providence, here at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, we cannot celebrate her feast day. Bishop McShea, the first bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, dedicated the Cathedral Church in 1961 on the feast day of the patroness of the Church. Throughout the Diocese of Allentown, the Dedication of the Cathedral is a feast day and in the Cathedral the day is celebrated as the highest form of liturgical celebration - a solemnity. Thus, the solemnity of the Dedication of the Cathedral trumps the feast day of St. Catharine.

Nevertheless, we have a great mystic and zealous saint as the particular intercessor for our parish. She sensed a great intimacy with God from a very young age and dedicated herself to Him with a vow of virginity at age 7. She suffered great misunderstanding from her family for many years and labored in the family home and throughout the town of Siena for most of her life. Because of her reputation of holiness many people sought counsel from her, including civic leaders, Cardinals and even Popes. She maintained a lively correspondence with many influential people of her time. Catharine was primarily responsible for bringing Pope Gregory XI back from Avignon, France, to shepherd the Church of Rome. She was a great defender of papal authority and possessed an intense love of the Church. She died at the age of 33 and, in 1970, was declared a Doctor of the Church.

"God is closer to us than water is to a fish." (St. Catharine of Siena)