St. Catherine of Genoa
Feast Day: September 15
Patron of: Nurses, Caregivers, Hospital Workers and those in Purgatory.
St. Catherine of Genoa (1447–1510) was an Italian mystic, humanitarian, and reformer best known for her profound spiritual writings—especially Treatise on Purgatory—and for her extensive work caring for the sick and poor in Genoa.
Key Facts
- Birth name: Caterina Fieschi
- Life: Born into a noble family in Genoa; entered an arranged marriage at 16.
- Conversion: Experienced a powerful mystical encounter with God in 1473 that transformed her life.
- Charity work: Served for decades in the Pammatone Hospital in Genoa, eventually becoming its director. She combined deep prayer with hands-on service to the dying, the plague-stricken, and the destitute.
- Mysticism: Known for her description of purgatory not as a place of external punishment but as an interior purification fueled by God’s love.
- Writings: Her teachings were recorded by her confessors in Dialogue between the Soul and the Body and Treatise on Purgatory.
- Canonization: Declared a saint in 1737.
Why She’s Important
- She is a patron saint of hospitals and nurses.
- Her understanding of purgatory influenced later Catholic theology, emphasizing God’s love over fear.
- She exemplifies the unity of mysticism and active charity.
Quotes by St. Catherine of Genoa
“My deepest me is God.”
“The souls in purgatory unite great joy with great suffering. No peace is comparable to that of the souls in purgatory, except that of the saints in heaven.”
“The greatest suffering of the souls in purgatory is the delay of seeing God.”
“If I could show you the smallest part of my soul, you would see the beauty of God.”
“I want only God, and my happiness is to be found in Him alone.”
“When we love God, we cannot help but love all that He loves.”
St. Catherine of Genoa on the Souls in Purgatory
St. Catherine of Genoa was a 15th century Italian Franciscan tertiary and mystic. She wrote treatises about her altruistic and mystical experiences. The later often centered on Purgatory. Pope Benedict XVI said of her, “With her life St Catherine teaches us that the more we love God and enter into intimacy with him in prayer the more he makes himself known to us, setting our hearts on fire with his love.”
Apart from the happiness of the saints in heaven, I think there is no joy comparable to that of the souls in purgatory.
— St. Catherine of Genoa
Prayers for the Feast of St. Catherine of Genoa (September 15)
A General Feast-Day Prayer
O God,
who filled St. Catherine of Genoa with burning love for You
and a tender compassion for all who suffer,
grant that through her intercession
we may grow in charity,
find joy in serving others,
and seek You with an undivided heart.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Nurses, Caregivers, and Hospital Workers
(St. Catherine is their patron.)
St. Catherine of Genoa,
you served the sick tirelessly and saw Christ in every suffering person.
Intercede for all who work in hospitals, clinics, and homes of care.
Obtain for them patience, strength, and a heart filled with mercy.
May they bring healing, compassion, and hope
to all entrusted to their care.
Amen.
A Prayer by Saint Catherine
Lord, I make you a present of myself.
I do not know what to do with myself.
So let me make this exchange:
I will place myself entirely in your hands,
if you will cover my ugliness with your beauty,
and tame my unruliness with your love.
Put out the flames of false passion in my heart,
since these flames destroy all that is true within me.
Make me always busy in your service.
Lord, I want no special signs from you,
nor am I looking for intense emotions in response to your love.
I would rather be free of all emotion,
than to run the danger of falling victim once again to false passion.
Let my love for you be naked, without any emotional clothing.
— Saint Catherine of Genoa
Prayer of St Catherine of Genoa
Sacrament of my God, my Jesus, my life and my love, how I love to be with Thee. Ah, how necessary art Thou to my heart! How sweet and tender are the sentiments Thou excitest in my soul! God of love, divine object of all earthly happiness, what peace I enjoy when near Thee! What holy joy, what transports even amidst the troubles and sorrows of my offenses. Before Thee the universe is in a profound silence! Before Thee all things are as nothing to me; Thou alone, O my Jesus, art all to me!
Ah, vanish from my memory all the masterpieces of art, the vain displays of magnificence, and human pride! I only wish and desire the masterpiece of the love of my God. O my Jesus, in Thee is every good, in Thee is all love. Great God, hear my prayers! Oh, that I could expire before Thy tabernacle, burning with love and bathed in my tears – St.Catherine of Genoa.
Prayer for the souls in Purgatory
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen. [Poor souls, upon attaining heaven, pray that I may also experience holy beatitude at the close of my earthly life.]
A Prayer by Saint Catherine
Lord, I make you a present of myself.
I do not know what to do with myself.
So let me make this exchange:
I will place myself entirely in your hands,
if you will cover my ugliness with your beauty,
and tame my unruliness with your love.
Put out the flames of false passion in my heart,
since these flames destroy all that is true within me.
Make me always busy in your service.
Lord, I want no special signs from you,
nor am I looking for intense emotions in response to your love.
I would rather be free of all emotion,
than to run the danger of falling victim once again to false passion.
Let my love for you be naked, without any emotional clothing.
— Saint Catherine of Genoa
A Prayer for Nurses, Caregivers, and Hospital Workers
(St. Catherine is their patron.)
St. Catherine of Genoa,
you served the sick tirelessly and saw Christ in every suffering person.
Intercede for all who work in hospitals, clinics, and homes of care.
Obtain for them patience, strength, and a heart filled with mercy.
May they bring healing, compassion, and hope
to all entrusted to their care.
Amen.
NOVENAS TO ST. CATHERINE OF GENOA
Opening Prayer (pray each day)
O God, who filled St. Catherine of Genoa with burning charity and a profound understanding of Your purifying love, grant that through her intercession I may grow in holiness and offer my life for Your glory.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Day 1 — Desire for God Alone
Prayer:
St. Catherine of Genoa, obtain for me the grace to desire God with my whole heart. Free me from attachments that draw me away from Him, and help me to turn toward the One who is perfect love.
(Mention intention)
Amen.
Day 2 — Conversion of Heart
Prayer:
St. Catherine, pray for the conversion of my heart. Help me to surrender my sins, weaknesses, and fears to God, trusting in His mercy and transforming grace.
(Mention intention)
Amen.
Day 3 — Love of Neighbor
Prayer:
St. Catherine, teach me to love others generously. May I see Christ in every person and serve with humility and charity.
(Mention intention)
Amen.
Day 4 — Suffering United to Christ
Prayer:
St. Catherine, help me to bear my trials with patience and trust. May my sufferings be joined to Christ’s and bring grace to souls in need.
(Mention intention)
Amen.
Day 5 — Purifying Love
Prayer:
St. Catherine, obtain for me a deeper understanding of God’s purifying love. Help me welcome His work in my soul so that I may grow in holiness.
(Mention intention)
Amen.
Day 6 — Mercy for the Souls in Purgatory
Prayer:
St. Catherine, intercede for the souls in Purgatory, especially those most forgotten. May my prayers, sacrifices, and works of mercy bring them closer to eternal rest.
(Mention intention)
Amen.
Day 7 — Detachment and Simplicity
Prayer:
St. Catherine, help me let go of the things that distract me from God. Teach me simplicity of heart, so that I may hear His voice more clearly.
(Mention intention)
Amen.
Day 8 — Union with the Will of God
Prayer:
St. Catherine, pray that I may accept God’s will in all circumstances. Help me trust that He works all things for my good and His glory.
(Mention intention)
Amen.
Day 9 — Total Love and Final Perseverance
Prayer:
St. Catherine of Genoa, guide me toward the fullness of divine love. Obtain for me perseverance in faith, hope, and charity, and bring my petitions before the throne of God.
(Mention intention)
Amen.
Concluding Prayer (pray each day or on the last day)
O God, who made St. Catherine of Genoa a vessel of Your burning love, grant that through her intercession my heart may be purified and inflamed with charity, so that I may love You perfectly in this life and forever in eternity.
Amen.
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