St. Katherine of Alexandria
St. Katherine was born in Alexandria in the year 288 A.D. to noble pagan parents, and in her early years she was called Dorothea. God granted her great wisdom and beauty, and she excelled in philosophy, poetry, music, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and natural sciences. Through her studies she discerned the falsehood of pagan worship, and the grace of God stirred her heart to seek the Truth.
In a vision, the Theotokos, St. Mary, appeared to her carrying the Child Jesus. Filled with awe, she hastened to a Christian priest to ask his counsel. He told her, “Be assured, my daughter, that the Lord Jesus desires you to be His own.” Enlightened by the Scriptures and strengthened in faith, she was baptized and received the name Katherine, meaning “pure one.”
From that time, she devoted her life to Christ, encouraging the faithful to persevere amid persecution. When Emperor Maximinus heard of her, he summoned her to the pagan temple and attempted to persuade her with wealth, honor, and marriage. St. Katherine rebuked him for his ignorance and idolatry, boldly proclaiming Christ.
The emperor, astonished by her wisdom, gathered fifty of his best philosophers to debate with her. By the grace of God, she silenced them all, and they confessed Christ. Enraged, the emperor ordered their martyrdom by fire, and they received their crowns of glory. Still, he kept Katherine alive, hoping to win her, but she refused him with steadfast faith.
She was cast into prison, where she was visited by the empress and the general Porphyrius. St. Katherine preached to them the mystery of Christ, and both believed and were baptized. Learning of this, the emperor ordered their immediate execution. He then continued to torture Katherine with great cruelty, yet the Lord comforted her with peace.
At last, when she was only nineteen years old, St. Katherine was beheaded, receiving the incorruptible crown of martyrdom (307 A.D.). Her holy relics were first buried in Alexandria, and later monks carried them to Mount Sinai, where they remain to this day in the monastery that bears her name.
On June 14, 2023, St. Katherine & St. Verena Convent in Hemet, California, was blessed to receive her sacred relics, sealing her as our heavenly patroness together with St. Verena.
St. Katherine’s life is a radiant witness of purity, wisdom, and courage. She gave herself wholly to Christ, using her gifts of learning and eloquence for the defense of the faith, and she endured suffering with unshakable love until her last breath. As our patron saint, she calls us to follow Christ with steadfastness, to embrace His truth with boldness, and to live with a purity of heart that glorifies God in every word and deed.
St. Verena of Thebes
St. Verena was born in the city of Garagos near Thebes (modern-day Luxor, Egypt) to devout Christian parents, who raised her in the fear of God. From a young age, she was taught and baptized by Bishop Sherimon of Beni Suef. A close relative of the martyr St. Maurice, commander of the Theban Legion, she traveled with the legion to western Europe to care for their needs and tend to the wounded.
After the martyrdom of the legion, including St. Maurice, she first lived in Milan at the home of a pious Christian, then moved to Agaunum, and later settled near Solothurn, Switzerland. There she embraced the life of asceticism—prayer, fasting, and solitude for the sake of her salvation. She supported herself by handiwork, which a Christian woman sold on her behalf, and she spent her life serving the poor, the sick, and especially young women. She taught them purity, prayer, and personal hygiene, and through her compassion and holiness, God performed many miracles of healing by her hands.
Her fame aroused the anger of the local governor, who cast her into prison. While imprisoned, she was comforted by a vision of St. Maurice, who strengthened her to remain steadfast in the faith. Later, when the governor himself was struck with a grave illness, he summoned her. Through her prayers, God healed him, and in gratitude, he ordered her release.
At the time of her departure, the Theotokos, the Virgin Mary, appeared to console her. The faithful wrapped her body in shrouds and buried her with honor, and a church was built in her name in Zurzach, Switzerland, where she is venerated as the patron saint. A convent for virgins was also dedicated to her in Switzerland. In the city of Stäfa, she is depicted in the coat of arms as a woman holding a pitcher and a comb, symbolizing her service in teaching the people cleanliness and hygiene.
Her holy relics are preserved in Zurzach, and in 1986, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, the 117th Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, received a portion of her relics for the Coptic Church. On July 23, 2022, St. Katherine & St. Verena Convent in Hemet, California, was blessed to receive her sacred relics as a seal of her heavenly patronage together with St. Katherine.
St. Verena’s life was a radiant witness of both service and sacrifice. She left her noble home for the uncertainty of a foreign land, using her gifts as a nurse and her ascetic discipline to glorify God and to bring healing—both physical and spiritual—to His people. As our patron saint, she calls us to live with the same courage, humility, and love: to serve Christ in every person we meet.
May their holy prayers and blessings be with us all. Amen.
