St Katherine (Catherine) of Alexandria: A Saint for Soldiers

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About St Katherine (Catherine) Of Alexandria: A Saint For

Excerpt: Only a small percentage of the twentieth century soldiers know anything about the saints; whereas the fighting men of five hundred years ago not only knew the saints, but they had a saint of their very own- one whom they actually carried of to the wars with them, instead of leaving her behind to votaries among the stay-at-homes ; one whose name was forever on their lips, called upon for succor wherever and whenever danger threatened them or death or misfortune wrung a prayer from their hearts. This Saint was the blessed martyr-virgin of Egypt, Katherine of Alexandria, patron of men-at-arms, and worker of innumerable wonders among the soldier-boys of the fifteenth century. And it is at Fierbois, near Chinon in lovely Touraine, that her most famous shrine is situated. Here her relics are still preserved; and hither the faithful still come on pilgrimages, thought not so much now out of fealty to Madame Sainte Katherine herself as for love of the greatest and holiest of all her devotees, that one glorious soldier above all others whom she succored and guided in time of war, the Blessed Joan of Arc. For this Saint-for-soldiers of ours is the same Katherine who became one of the three Voices inspiring and directing the Maid of Domremy to rise up and save France. There is much more than the story of Joan clustered around St. Katherine's shrine at Fierbois, however ; there is, in fact, a whole history of soldiering written in ancient records- such a story of war-time escapes and escapades, of miracles and deliverance and wonder-workings, as one will find only in the Chronicles of the days of faith and chivalry ; days long lost, but coming back to us, it seems, on the red tide of war again. For adventure and heroism, for faith unshaken by fire or sword, stock or gibbet, commend us to these antique records to he Chapel of Fierboise! It is a chronicle of wonders, this vellowed manuscript, Les miracles de Madame Sainte Katherine, reposing now in the Biliotheque N