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Catherine was born of noble pagan parents in Alexandria in the late third century. She was highly intelligent and well-educated, and when she converted to Christianity as a young woman she devoted herself to studying every aspect of the faith. Upset at the pagan displays of the emperor Maximinus, Catherine boldly confronted the ruler, who was intrigued by her zeal and summoned his best philosophers to debate her. Catherine defeated every pagan argument, which led to many conversions, and the furious emperor ordered her tortured. She remained steadfast, so the emperor tried to win her apostasy with bribes, flattery, and offers of marriage; but Catherine rejected everything, having consecrated her virginity to God. She was tortured again, this time on a barbarous device now known as a St. Catherine wheel, but her faith broke the machine instead, and she was finally beheaded. Catherine was one of the most popular saints in medieval Christendom, with her feast a major holiday. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, she is patroness of maidens, female students, wheelwrights and mechanics, apologists, and more. Her feast was removed from the calendar in the twentieth century due to the many fantastic legends attached to her story, but it was happily restored by Pope St. John Paul II.
THE birthday [into heaven] of St. Catharine, virgin and martyr, under the emperor Maximinus. For the confession of the Christian faith, she was cast into prison at Alexandria, and afterwards endured a long scourging with whips garnished with metal, and finally ended her martyrdom by decapitation. Her body was miraculously conveyed by angels to Mount Sinai, where pious veneration is paid to it by a great concourse of Christians.
At Rome, St. Moses, priest and martyr, who, with others detained in prison, was often consoled by the letters of St. Cyprian. After he had withstood with unbending courage not only the Gentiles, but also the Novatian schismatics and heretics, he was finally, in the persecution of Decius, crowned with a martyrdom which fills the mind with admiration, according to the words of pope St. Cornelius.
At Antioch, St. Erasmus, martyr.
At Caesarea, in Cappadocia, St. Mercury, soldier, who vanquished the barbarians and triumphed over the cruelty of Decius through the protection of his guardian angel. Finally, having acquired great glory from his sufferings, he was crowned with martyrdom and went to reign forever in heaven.
In Emilia, a province of Italy, St. Jucunda, virgin.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.