St. Catherine Fun Fact #5

Saint Catherine of Siena.
Painting in the nave of San Nazaro Maggiore basilica in Milan.
Picture by Giovanni Dall'Orto

Catherine rebelled against her parents!  Her family became furious when she refused to comply with their attempts to marry her off.  Her mother sent a Dominican father to talk some sense into her, but when he realized her devotion to her faith, he encouraged her to SHAVE HER HEAD to prove her commitment to God.  She did, and her mother was spitting mad!  In fact, her mother fired their household servant and instructed the family to treat Catherine as a servant.  Catherine was made to serve her brothers, father, and mother, and was told she'd be allowed to stop if she agreed to marry.  She persisted in her 'rebellion' and did her duties cheerfully.  Eventually her family relented, accepting her chosen path in life.  In the end, they had to respect her resolve.  She would not be deterred!

McDermott, T.S. The Lives of the Dominican Saints.  New York: The Dominican Fathers of the Province of St. Joseph, 1940. Print.