St. Catherine “of the Wheel” was a great virgin, queen, mystic and martyr.
St. Catherine of Alexandria lived in Egypt during the third century. She was of royal blood and an excellent scholar, a veritable genius by the grace of God. In the midst of the great delta of the Nile and on the Mediterranean coast, Alexandria was the second most important city in the Roman Empire. It was known throughout the world for its advanced learning and sophisticated culture. It had the world's greatest library, most impressive lighthouse, largest granaries and other marvels of the ancient world. During her lifetime, this bustling metropolis had nearly a million inhabitants. Christianity was brought to Alexandria by St. Mark the Evangelist. He was sent there from Rome by St. Peter shortly before the first Pope’s martyrdom. St. Mark worked many miracles there and was eventually martyred on the feast of the pagan god Serapis. He was beaten, dragged through the streets by horses, and his mutilated body cast upon a craggy shore. Yet his martyr’s blood proved to be the seeds which gave rise to one of the greatest centers of Christianity in the first six centuries.
Catherine rejected all her suitors because she deemed not sufficiently worthy. Jesus Christ appeared to her and she instantly sought His love; however, she was spurned. A venerable monk informed her that it was because she was unbaptized, was devoid of sanctifying grace and thus also lacked virtues. Catherine promptly began to learn all she could regarding the Catholic Faith, put it into practice, and soon converted. She was still quite young when she became convinced that it was the one and only True religion. She made rapid progress in the spiritual life. Our Lord and Our Lady appeared to her and she was given the tremendous grace of a mystical nuptial ceremony with our Lord (a grace similar to the one given to her Catherine of Siena and Catherine of Ricci centuries later). Following the death of her parents, she assumed the role of queen over her people.
When she was only eighteen, she audaciously presented herself before Emperor Maximinus who was violently persecuting the Christians amongst her people and upbraided him for his cruelty. She endeavored to prove to him how iniquitous was the worship of false gods. Upon hearing her eloquence, the Emperor knew he was not her intellectual equal. Her boldness, conviction and virtue impressed him. Some even say he was enamored with her as by a thunderclap, for she was also of exquisite beauty. Only on this account did he not strike her dead immediately following her rebuke. Instead he opted to win her over by proving her errors.
Maximinus called upon numerous scholars and philosophers to use all their experience, sophistry, and logic to convince her of the superiority of paganism over Catholicism. Tradition tells us thirty of the world’s greatest scholars were gathered to contest and conquer her in debate. Inspired by the Holy Ghost and championing the Truth, Catherine emerged victorious. So persuasive were her words, and so great was the integrity of the scholars (who truly were lovers and seekers of the truth), that all thirty of them without exception converted to the Catholic Faith. This enraged the emperor who threatened them with torture and death. Having found the truth, however, each one of the thirty philosophers accepted death.
This great show of erudition by St. Catherine and the impressive valor demonstrated by the converted scholars led hundreds of Alexandrians to seek baptism and become Catholic. Maximinus was furious and intended to bully and frighten the young maiden into worshiping his idols. He had her scourged and imprisoned. The empress heard of this extraordinary young woman and, taking her principal general with her, went to visit her in the dungeon. One wonders if she was not first motivated by envy. Irrespective of initial motivations, both empress and general quickly yielded to Catherine's exhortations. They believed, did penance and were baptized. The Emperor, in turn, put them both to death.
The conversions among the general populace continued and the Emperor chose to condemn Catherine to death by torture on the wheel. A large machine was constructed with spiked wheels that would inflict terrible tortures upon the imprisoned soul who was tied and racked upon the frightening engine of death. A troop of soldiers led Catherine to her execution, but her prayer bought about a great miracle. When the executioners first touched her body to the spinning wheels, the engine was suddenly and miraculously destroyed. The spikes flew in dizzying directions inflicting many wounds and killing some of the soldiers, but Catherine who stood in their midst was completely unharmed.
Driven into a diabolical frenzy, Maximinus ordered her beheaded. It is said that upon her martyrdom and angel descended from heaven, smote the columns nearby, and killed many of the pagans who had been rejoicing over her death (reminiscent of the vengeance of Samson). The same angel then carried her body away to Mount Sinai. Here her body was buried and a Church and Monastery were built in her honor.
The martyrdom of St. Catherine led to many more conversions. Alexandria became one of the greatest of all Christian cities, and produced such prodigious saints as St. Dionysius, St. Peter, St. Alexander, St. Athanasius and St. Cyril. Catherine became one of the most beloved saints in all of Christianity and one of the most frequently invoked and depicted by Catholic artists. She is often shown with a spiked wheel and/or a sword, the instruments of her martyrdom. She often carries the palm of victory and virginity and a book and plume to represent her scholarly wisdom. St. Catherine is one of the famed Fourteen Holy Helpers and is the patroness of orators, philosophers, and theologians.
St. Catherine, ora pro nobis!